Shortbread

There's a special sort of irony involved in naming an item 'shortbread' that may be short, but doesn't look like bread. Names apart, this sweet is good. Just hard enough to give you some crunch. Just soft enough to melt in your mouth. It's perfect with coffee, and great for that mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. And the best thing? It's got three ingredients, what could be important than that? I always look at things in the supermarket and gauge their quality on two things: how they look and how many ingredients are involved (the fewer the better). So shortbread's a winner, and here's how to make it:

INGREDIENTS

150g plain flour
100g salted butter
50g golden caster sugar, plus a little more for sprinkling

RECIPE

Place the flour in a bowl and add the butter before mixing them together until they resemble fine crumbs, before stirring in the sugar. Work the mixture together and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Then roll out into a 7inch round, before transferring to a greased baking sheet and flute the edges (see picture where the edge is indented). Divide the shortbread into 8 pieces with a knife, making sure to not cut all the way through. Prick the surface with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes, checking regularly, at Gas Mark 2/150c. The shortbread, when cooked, should still be pale. Cut through the markings and serve when cooled. Preferably with a soya cappuccino!