120g
unsalted butter, chilled and diced
50g confectioner’s
sugar
1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
140g plain
flour, plus extra for dusting
1/8 teaspoon
salt
1 orange,
finely zested
1 1/2
teaspoons fennel seeds, roughly crushed
(A good
candidate for 3 Steps to Easier Cookies.)
Combine all
the ingredients in a food processor and whiz until the mixture just beings to
clump together. Do not over-process.
Tip the
dough onto a lightly floured work surface and briskly bring it together into a
flattish rectangle. Wrap in cling film
and chill for at least an hour. Alternatively,
freeze until required; it will keep quite happily for
a month.
Divide the
dough in half and work with one piece at a time; keep the other piece chilled. Roll out between 2 sheets of baking paper to a
thickness of 3 mm – or even slightly thinner, if you dare. Cut the dough into shapes – elegant long
triangles, neat rectangles or circles are all good – and carefully lift onto a
baking sheet lined with Silpat or baking paper. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes.
When ready
to bake, preheat the oven to 160°C. Bake
the shortbreads for 10–12 minutes, or until they colour a
very pale gold; watch carefully in the final few minutes to make sure they
don’t brown too much.
Remove from
the oven and cool on the tray for a few minutes to allow the shortbreads to
firm up. Then lift them
carefully onto wire racks to cool completely.
Makes 16-20
cookies.
From New Feast by Greg and Lucy Malouf
