The time I made shortbread cookies.

We have a tiny galley kitchen that is really only big enough for one person at a time. It’s for this reason alone that I find myself telling the everyone ‘I love you, now get out of the kitchen’ ten times a day.

it seems anytime I go to the kitchen, two other members of my family need to go in there too. I don’t think they need anything, I think they want to know what I’m getting up too and if they can get in on the action.

the other day I relented and asked my daughter to help me make Jamie Oliver’s shortbread cookies. Jamie’s recipe calls for orange zest but we didn’t have any so I left that out and added a little vanilla extract. Overall it’s a super easy recipe that requires only a few ingredients.

Shortbread Cookies

• 150g (2/3c) unsalted butter at room temperature

• 200g (a little more than 1 1/2c) plain flour

• 50g (1/4c) golden caster sugar - white sugar can be substituted

• 1tsp of vanilla extract

• 50g (half a bar) dark chocolate - I used milk chocolate

Instructions

Makes 12 bars

• Preheat oven to 190* (375* US)

• Grease a 20cm (9x9) square pan and line with greaseproof paper.

• In a bowl, mix butter, flour, and sugar together using your hands. Don’t kneed the dough, combine to a crumb consistency.

• Press the mixture into the pan.

• Use a fork to create the signature shortbread marks.

• Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

• Remove the bars from the pan by gently lifting the paper out.

• Sprinkle with a little sugar while its still hot.

• Let cool

At this point you can cut them and share them with the family but I melted some milk chocolate and drizzled in on the bars.

They are crumbly and delicious and perfect with a cup of tea.

Wish you were here,

xoxo