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The Very Best Shortbread

A buttery and delicious shortbread recipe from Mary Berry. The secret ingredient is semolina for that extra crunch! Finish with a sprinkle of demerara sugar.

From the book

Introduction

For a really good shortbread it is essential to use butter. I like to use semolina as well as flour to give the shortbread crunch, but you can use cornflour or ground rice instead.

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Ingredients

225g (8oz) plain flour
100g (4oz) semolina
225g (8oz) butter
100g (4oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) flaked almonds (optional)
25g (1oz) demerara sugar, for dusting

Essential kit

You will need a 30 x 23cm (12 x 9in) traybake or roasting tin.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/gas 3.

Lightly grease a 30cm x 23cm roasting or traybake tin.

Mix together the flour and semolina in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and sugar and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture is just beginning to bind together. Knead lightly until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

Press the dough into the prepared tin and level it with the back of a spatula or a palette knife, making sure the mixture is evenly spread. Prick all over with a fork, sprinkle over the flaked almonds if using, and chill until firm.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until a very pale golden brown. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then cut into 30 fingers.

Carefully lift the fingers out of the tin with a palette knife and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight tin.

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From the book: My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

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