So what better way to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and my first post about recipes than with some gorgeous yummy cookies?
And these do look gorgeous and yummy! I received them as a gift from a friend, wich I thank very much.
I do know that this wasn’t made by me, but still I do have a very close recipe with some of my personal twists that for me just enhance the flavours and make it feel a little more fresh.
For those who do not know, this is a shortbread cookie. Its predominant flavor is butter and falls apart easily in large crumbs. It is a very popular recipe and is great for outdoor parties, picnics (in smaller portions than the photo, so everyone can have a piece) and of course is the perfect sweet to have in a Sunday afternoon with a cup of hot tea while the rain is pouring outside against the windows ( in the Winter) or with a glass of fresh orange juice (in the Spring).
First of all the cookies came in a metallic box, with the side profile of Queen Elizabeth II and some really nice drawings around. After taking the tapes that kept the cover from opening, we get to the inside, where we have the plastic casing and after taking that off we can start forgetting about our weight. So as you can see the food is well conserved and is a very good gift to a friend! 🙂 Also I didn’t say yet, but I think it’s understated that they taste amazing!
So this my recipe and like I said it has some of my own changes and improvements to it:
P.S.: I normally do round little ones (the classic) or in the shape of ginger bread mans. It really ends up to be about your personal choice and your creativity. The sky here is really the limit.
Ingredients:
120 gr of butter
100 gr of sugar
1 egg
350 gr of plain flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
lemon zest (a lot of it, I would say probably about the zest of 3 medium lemons. But in the end it really is about taste and how much do you want. You can also put a little of lemon juice if you really like the flavour, but you should be careful with the acidity. Like I said is a twist to the classic version that actually works.)
Preparation:
1. Beat the butter and the sugar together until is smooth. I normally heat up the butter in the microwave (about 10 seconds)
so it will be easier to beat.
2. Add the egg and keep beating till it’s all combined.
3. After that mix in the lemon zest.
4. Once that is done, stir in the flour till you get a smooth dough.
5. Turn on to a clean surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm thick. Cut into whatever shapes that you like.
6. Put them in a baking tray, previous covered with a vegetable parchment (butter paper) or simple clean paper in the oven at 180ºC.
7. Let them stay there for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden-brown. Set aside to cool and you can finish with sugar on top.
Hope that you have fun trying and let me know how they were, also if you have any questions, just ask! 🙂
Lots of love,
Paradise of Words
paradiseofwordsanddreams 