Hi Everyone!
I’m watching another episode of Sex and the City and wondering, how they all afforded their lives. Dinner at the hottest new restaurants, designer clothes and shoes and moving in the high society circles of Manhattan. Correct me if I’m wrong but if these characters were out there in the real world, would they be living the same lives? How many people buy into this ‘attainable’ life but in reality you need to work damn hard to have enough money to facilitate this lifestyle and when you do have the money, you’re too tired from work to enjoy it? Perhaps I’m too pessimistic? Rant over.
My second instalment of my biscuit series features a different take on shortbread. When I was a teenager I had a school friend who I would spend summer holidays with. Her parents had a holiday home down on the east coast of South Africa. We would spend days reading, kayaking and baking. Her mother was a cool woman and she taught me how to make brownies and shortbread, so making shortbread today has been like a trip down memory lane.
We live in an apartment so don’t have our own garden, we do however have a very successful herb garden which Charles lovingly tends to as my track record with plants is awful. I took to our little herb garden for some shortbread inspiration. So let me introduce you to my Lemon and Thyme Shortbread!
Lemon and Thyme Shortbread makes 15-20 biscuits
Ingredients
160g Flour
80g Butter, soft
40g Granulated Sugar
1tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
1tsp Lemon Zest
1tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F)
- Cream the butter using a hand or electric whisk and the gradually add the sugar until incorporated.
- Next add the thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- Gradually add the flour and salt to your butter mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.
- On a floured surface, knead the mixture until it comes together to form a ball, if you find the mixture to be too dry, add a bit more lemon juice. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Once rested, on a floured surface roll your dough to 1cm thick. Using a cookie cutter or jar, cut out cookies and place on a grease paper lined baking sheet.
- Prick biscuits with a fork and sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
These can be kept fresh wrapped in greaseproof paper in an air tight container, if they last that long!
Stay tuned for another recipe tomorrow, Hint: it involves chocolate!
Chloe White's Kitchen 