Italian recipes on a budget: Mini lemon shortbread

Italian recipes on a budget: Mini lemon shortbread

By Jo Pratt
Last updated at 11:00 PM on 30th January 2009

Round off the meal by serving coffee with these crispy lemony shortbread biscuits. Leftovers can be stored in a tin for a week.


Sweet treat: Mini lemon shortbread

Makes about 40

INGREDIENTS

* Pinch of salt
* 225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 75g caster sugar
* 275g plain flour, plus extra for rolling
* 75g fine semolina
* Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
* Extra caster sugar, for dusting
* Small biscuit cutter, about 4cm in diameter

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 4. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and caster sugar until it is light in colour and consistency. This can be done with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.

Beat in the flour, salt, semolina and lemon zest, then finish with your hands to form a soft pliable dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

Dust your worktop with a little flour and roll out the shortbread dough to about
1cm thick. Using the cutter, cut out as many biscuits as you can, re-rolling and re-cutting any trimmings as you go.

Place on a couple of greased baking trays and bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes until they turn lightly golden.

As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with a little caster sugar. Once they are cool, enjoy straight away or store in an airtight container.

HANDY TIP: You can also flavour the shortbread with: grated zest of 1 small orange or 1tsp almond essence

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1131782/Italian-recipes-budget-Mini-lemon-shortbread.html