Topic: Shortbread recipe urgently required

[chriswg]

I know this isn't the best forum for this but I know we have some great experimental cooks in here that strive for perfection with each dish rather that settling for a standard recipe.

I'm hoping this will be one of those times and some of you will have an ultimate shortbread recipe up their sleeve. I got railroaded into entering a competition for the local gardening club, they have a men only cooking class and this year it is shortbread. I intend to win the rosette

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Ta
Chris

[Vindaloo-crazy]

This one seems to have good write ups, remember to fry some garlic in a load of oil before you bung it in the wok ( couple of chillies too I reckon)!

Shortbread, Scottish.

1 Cup Cornflour
1 Cup Rice flour
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Icing Sugar
1 lb butter ( yes- you are reading correctly- a whole pound of butter! )
optional- 1tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400F. ( You will turn it down to 350 when you put cookies in)
Blend the dry ingredients into the softened butter. (I used a food processor to blend with no problems)

Spread the batter ( which will seem more like a spread than batter) into 2 pie plates or rectangular 8 x11 pan.

Turn oven down to 350F.
Bake for 20-25 mins- check often and remove from oven when golden or pale brown. Prick with fork all over surface. Cut when still warm ( the shortbread get very hard and will be impossible to cut when cooled).
Store in cool dry place .

[chriswg]

Thanks VC but the other competitors take this very seriously so a good recipe might not be enough. I need a USP to set mine apart. Adding chilli might not be a bad suggestion, vanilla and chilli shortbread might work - I'm guessing no one has tried before.

I'm planning on using ground rice as the main ingredient as I like the grittiness it provides. I have seen recipes which include custard powder so I might give that a go although vanilla pods or essence will probably do the same job but better.

What would Heston Blumenthal do? Probably add popping candy... hmmm.

[chriswg]

Where can I get a chilli shaped cookie cutter by Friday???

[Malc.]

Chris I can't help with the recipes i'm afraid I simply haven't tried baking at all. But this site seems like a good place to start: http://www.shortbreadrecipe.org.uk/ The toffee and pecan sounds rather tasty.

If you want to use chilli what about a chocolate and chilli shortbread. The two go hand in hand.

I watched a program last night on baking a chap did ginger snap biscuits with homemade candied ginger. What about a candied ginger shortbread?

[Vindaloo-crazy]

Chilli and chocolate shortbread?

[Vindaloo-crazy]

Cool idea Axe

[chriswg]

I have emailed to clarify the rules. Toffee and pecan shortbread would kick arse, but I bet it has to be plain!

[Vindaloo-crazy]

process the toffee and pecan so they don't notice it?  ;D

[chriswg]

I'm thinking I might try this:

4 oz (100 g) margarine
1/4 cup (50 g) 2 oz caster sugar (superfine granulated)
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 3/4 cup (170 g) 6 1/2 oz plain flour (All purpose)
25 g (1 oz) ground rice
25 g (1 oz) custard powder
caster sugar (superfine granulated) for sprinkling

But use butter instead of marg (I bought some expensive Channel Islands butter), and add in some chopped toffee to the mixture. I'll then caramelize some pecans and gently press half a pecan into the middle of each biscuit.

Thoughts???