The rice flour makes all the difference. It gives the shortbread that delicate, sandy texture that makes proper shortbread so good.
Ingredients
Makes 3 circles
- 3 cups flour
- ⅔ cup rice flour
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 lb unsalted butter
- 1 tsp salt
- Icing sugar
Method
1. Place the sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds to make it finer.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into small squares and knead it into the flour mixture with your fingers.
3. Continue kneading until the mixture has the consistency of fine breadcrumbs.
4. Knead into a softball shape, about 5–10 minutes. If the pastry is still too short, place it in the fridge until cold.
5. Lightly flour three 9-inch pie plates and roll the dough into three 9-inch circles.
6. Use a knife to score lines into the dough and prick with a fork.
7. Preheat oven to 300–325°F and bake for 30 minutes, or about 45 minutes at 300°F, until golden brown.
8. Re-score the shortbread while warm and sprinkle with icing sugar.
