There’s no better way for me to kick start a food blog than with my favourite shortbread recipe, from Jane Pettigrew’s Tea Time, my beloved book of teatime favourites, bought in 1992.

SHORTBREAD

INGREDIENTS
350g self-raising flour
100g cornflour
225g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
Few drops of almond extract

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and line a tin, preferably loose-bottomed.
Mix the flour and cornflour together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy. Add the almond extract and beat again. Gradually mix in the flour and cornflour, to make a very light, crumbly mixture.
Put the mixture in the lined tin and press down firmly. Smooth the top very carefully. Mark, do not cut, the biscuits and prick a pattern over the top with fork prongs.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out. To serve, cut or break along the lines marked.

NOTES: I’m lazy, I confess. I use only one bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the flour and cornflour. I used to line the tin but the last time I made shortbread I used a porcelain baking tray and they came out just fine.
Next time I’ll try using the paddle of my stand mixer to do the hard work. 😛