Prue’s take on a Scottish shortbread is baked in a festive snowflake shaped mould, but if you don’t have one you can easily substitute this for a 10 inch cake tin and reduce the bake time by 5-10 minutes, decorating with your own festive designs, or crimping with a fork and scoring into traditional petticoat tails. This simple showstopper is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Prue Leith
Christmas & New Year Specials
Makes:
1 shortbread round
Difficulty:
Easy
Baking Time:
1 hour
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- Ingredients
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Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/300°F/Gas 2.
Step 2
For the shortbread, tip the butter and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and cream for 2–3 minutes until combined and soft, but not aerated.
Step 3
Add the plain flour and rice flour, and mix until the mixture starts to clump together into large breadcrumbs. Do not overmix.
Step 4
Grease the mould with non-stick spray and tip the crumble mixture into the mould. Press the mixture into the mould with a spatula then level out with the back of a large spoon. Prick the surface all over with a fork.
Step 5
Bake for one hour, until light golden brown and baked through.
Step 6
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out onto a board.
Step 7
For the royal icing, whisk the egg white in a medium bowl until frothy. Add the sifted icing sugar a tablespoonful at a time. Whisk the icing until it is very stiff and white and stands up in peaks. Cover the surface of the icing with clingfilm until ready to use.
Step 8
Once the shortbread is cool, spoon the royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a no. 2 writing nozzle. Check the icing is the correct texture to pipe and if not add a drop of water to loosen, or more icing sugar to stiffen. Decorate the shortbread by piping lines to divide the petticoat tails, pipe the detail around the outside edge of the shortbread and pipe the detail on the snowflakes.
Step 9
Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy!
