MEMORABLE LEMON & WALNUT SHORTBREAD, quick & easy Indulgence, egg0-free

Showstopper Baking for when you're short of time

Lemon & Walnut Shortbread 
'Melt-in the mouth' 'Really delicious'  'Crumbly with unexpected nuttiness' Tasters

Everyone has recipes for occasions when time is of the essence.  One of 67's is chocolate shortbread  The classic chocolate shortbread is very easy to mix and the dough is pressed into a baking tin with no rolling, no fuss.  

But lemon shortbread -- a rich, crumbly nutty lemony delight -- is just as easy to put together.  The dough is slightly softer and doesn't need pressing.  It more or less pours into the tin but will need to be carefully levelled off.  Cut it into small squares instead of fingers to make it go further.

Neither shortbread is healthy -- the shortbread contains butter and icing sugar -- but portion control is the key.  It's great for entertaining at home or for bake sales and treats for political volunteers.

Cost: £2
Serves: depending on portion size, 12-25

Ingred:
      
   8 oz/250 gm softened unsalted butter, left out overnight or zapped in the microwave for 20 sec to soften, not melt 
   4 oz/125 gm icing sugar
   
   1 tsp vanilla extract
   1 tsp lemon juice
   1-2 tsp lemon zest

   7 oz/215 gms plain flour 
   1 tsp baking powder
   1 1/2 oz/45 gms rice flour or cornflour
    1/2 tsp salt
   
   1/3-1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C/300F, gas 2-3
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, using a fine-mesh sieve.  (This helps gives the shortbread its light texture.) Stir in rice flour.  
3. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip butter and icing sugar until smooth and light coloured, about 3 minutes
4. Mix in vanilla and lemon zest.  
5. Add flour and beat on low speed until mix is well blended but try not to overbeat it.        
6. Place in a 9x12 inch/30x23 cm tin or equiv. pushing the mix into the sides and corners.  
7. Level the top with a spatula or knife. 
8. Bake about 40 mins until top changes from shiny to dull and it feels firm to the touch.
9. As soon as the tin comes out of the oven, cut into portions (while in the tin).  
10. Cool in tin 30 mins, then move the shortbread to a wire rack.
11. These are fine as they are but can be drizzled with melted white or dark chocolate 

Comments:

'Lovely. Melts in the mouth.' Catholic Bishop

'Really delicious.' MP candidate

'Perks up the mouth with mini-explosions of lemon' Political agent

'Lovely and crumbly with unexpected nuttiness' Mature housewife

'I quite like it, especially the sharpness of lemon.' London Underground driver

Tip:

• For a change, replace lemon zest with orange or lime zest
• 67 was out of corn or rice flours and used Duchy's self-raising brown flour instead, increasing the lemon juice by half a teaspoon

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This recipe has  been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.