Lavender Shortbread

MasterChef 2007 finalist, Hannah Miles, is back with another delicious recipe:

• 4oz butter
• 1oz caster sugar
• 1oz lavender sugar (see below)
• 6oz “00” plain flour (also called Italian flour)

1. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
2. Tip in the flour and mix to a soft dough with your hands.
3. If the mixture is too dry, add a small amount of milk.  If it’s too sticky, add a bit more flour.
4. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for an hour.
5. Roll out to 1cm thickness and cut out cookie shapes.
6. Place the cookies on greased baking trays and bake at 180C/Gas mark 5/Aga roasting oven below a cold shelf for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
7. Lift onto a cooling wrack and dust with caster sugar while still warm.  The smell as you take them out of the oven is delicious!

To make lavender sugar, layer caster sugar with culinary lavender in a jam jar in alternate layers.  Leave for 2 weeks to infuse.  This can be used in cakes, biscuits, icing etc.

Take a look at Hannah’s fab food blog, which contains many of her recipes and also gives an insight into her village life.