LEMON SHORTBREADS

I needed to bake something last week as my ex mother in law was coming for tea but I was totally limited on time. Thankfully I found this recipe is Fay Ripley's first book. These biscuits are quite quick and easy to make plus they don't need too many ingredients. They took about 30 minutes to make and cook and 30 minutes chilling time.

Ingredients for 15-20 biscuits (depending on size):

175g soft butter - don't forget to take it out of the fridge beforehand
90g caster sugar
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely grated
1 large egg yolk
250g plain or white spelt flour, sifted
1 large egg, beaten
Granulated sugar, to sprinkle

Start by creaming the butter, sugar and lemon zest until light and fluffy-ish using an electric whisk. It took a few minutes in total. This is why you definitely need soft butter!

Add the egg yolk and gently combine.

Then gradually whisk in the sifted flour until it comes together into a dough. This took around 5-10 minutes as you need to do it slowly. Towards the end, it might be easier to use your hands - I certainly did although it really gets under your nails. Wrap in cling film and pop into the fridge for half an hour (or into the freezer if you are using for another day).

Preheat the oven to 180 C fan, 200 C, gas mark 6.

When it has firmed up just a little, roll out the dough to 5mm-ish thickness. I don't have a rolling pin so just used my hand and I did half the dough at a time. I scattered flour on the chopping board first as otherwise it was too sticky.

Using the top of a jar or a cookie cutter, cut the biscuits into shapes.

With a wide knife or spatula, scoop the shortbreads up and place them on a lined baking sheet. Brush with the beaten egg and then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Eat as they are or serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and some berries or with ice cream, yoghurt or mousse. The options are endless! These are yummy - they didn't look as good as Fay's but the taste made up for it. Arabella liked them so much I had to stop her at 4! She has had the rest of them as her afternoon snack, even though they are sugary, at least I know exactly what is in them. A real winner - perfect for adults and children alike.