Some recipes rely on technique. Shortbread relies on butter. Lard Ass Sweet Vanilla Cultured Butter brings delicate vanilla notes and rich cultured flavour to every crumb, creating shortbread that's crisp at the edges, melt-in-the-mouth in the centre and impossible to stop at one.
INGREDIENTS
150g Lard Ass Sweet Vanilla Cultured Butter, softened
⅓ cup (60g) pure icing sugar
1¼ cups (180g) plain flour
½ cup (60g) cornflour
¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (optional, for extra vanilla specks)
Flaky sea salt, to finish
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional (140°C fan-forced). Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Beat the Lard Ass Sweet Vanilla Cultured Butter and icing sugar with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes, until smooth, pale and creamy.
If using, mix in the vanilla bean paste.
Add the plain flour, cornflour and fine sea salt. Fold together with a spatula until the dough just comes together. If needed, use your hands to gently bring the dough together into a smooth ball. Do not overwork the dough.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead once or twice until smooth.
Roll the dough to approximately 12mm thick and cut into fingers or rounds using your preferred cutter. Arrange on the prepared tray, leaving about 2cm between each biscuit.
Prick each shortbread lightly with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn a very light golden colour. The tops should remain pale.
Leave the shortbread to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
While still slightly warm, finish with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt.
TIP
Cornflour gives these shortbread biscuits their signature melt-in-the-mouth texture. Chilling the dough before baking helps the biscuits hold their shape, while baking them only until lightly coloured allows the rich cultured butter and delicate vanilla flavour to remain the stars.
