The Christmas Cake you will be glad to know is now well under way, despite the sleepless nights I have had worrying over it!! Unfortunately I cant tell you what the design is, as that is now
TOP SECRET
The chefs work extremely hard this time of year especially with our Holly & Mistletoe breaks running from November through December, they have to cook Christmas Dinner twice a week and the smell of the Turkey cooking is sublime. The aromas of the turkey, mince pies and puddings etc waft up into the office and make our mouths water on a daily basis but unfortunately we never get to sample them
I popped down to the kitchen the other day and Simon one of our chefs was just bringing out a batch of delicious homemade shortbread. so I cheekily asked him for the recipe. With a lot of arm twisting he finally gave it to me so I thought you might like to try it and have a go of baking it yourself!
I made a batch over the weekend and they disappeared so fast I will now have to make some more.
Simon's Shortbread ( makes approx 16 biscuits)
8 oz Butter
4 oz Castor Ssugar
12 oz Flour
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/170°C/Gas Mark 3.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar. until light and fluffy and pale in colour. This can take at least 10 minutes. Alternatively use a food mixer.
- Sieve the flour into the bowl of butter and sugar. Mix quickly and thoroughly to bring all the ingredients together but do not over mix.
- Tip the mixture onto a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly and quickly to form a loose dough. then either:
- Roll out the dough, prick the surface all over with a fork. Cut into desired shape or rounds using cookie cutters. Place the Scottish shortbread's on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake for 25 mins or until pale brown and crisp. Sprinkle the warm Scottish shortbread's with fine sugar and leave to cool on a wire cooling rack.
- Alternatively grease a Swiss roll tin 9" x 13"/23 x 33cm with butter. Press the dough into the tin and press with your fingers to level the surface, prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. With the shortbread still in the tin, cut into squares or fingers, leave to cool for 15 minutes then carefully remove to a wire cooling rack.
- Store in an airtight tin or box.
