With most shortbread recipes you rub the butter into the flour and then add the other dry ingredients which takes a little bit of time. Melting the butter instead is certainly an easier option and a whole lot quicker, not traditional, but quicker…..
Just for variety I thought this more biscuit style recipe might be worth trying. Mum cut it out from the Australian Women’s weekly back in March 2001. I haven’t calculated the cost to make them, but I think it would be a bit more than $1.50 these days.
I’m not sure I ever made one of Mum’s shortbread recipes. I found this one in an Australian Women’s Weekly 100 delicious Biscuits and Slices cookbook just after I got married and it’s the one I usually make. I like it because it is cooked in a tray and cut into fingers. The metric butter measurement is 220g.
As well as lots of handwritten recipes I found this one in the collection. It comes from the side of the Rice Flour packet.
Christmas in our house always started with Mum making the pudding and the cake, the next thing on her list was fruit mince pies and shortbread. Although I’ve hunted through her recipes I haven’t been able to find her fruit mince pie recipe yet, I know it’s in there somewhere, but I have found lots of recipes for shortbread. This recipe seems typical of the handwritten ones and was given to her by an old friend – Thel Payne.
SHORTBREADS – Thel Payne
Cream butter and sugar, add flours. Knead in basin till smooth. Divide into 3 pieces and roll into circle approx 10mm thick. Cut into 8 to 10 pieces and bake in oven 160o for 5 mins then 120o for 30mins. Turn tray half way through. When cool dust with icing sugar.
Beb's Recipe Drawer 