Mrs Kong's Shortbread Xmas Trees

On the weekend, we acquired a new member to Mrs Kong's baking team. Xmas Tree cookie cutter left the cushy confines of Abaxas cook store on St Giles Street, and ventured into the sweatshop labour environment of Mrs Kong's kitchen.

cookie cutter posing for the last time next to xmas lights

And it was put to work immediately; on another of Mary Berry's shortbread recipes, this time "A Very Special Shortbread". This recipe has slightly more flour and no semolina. Mrs Kong thought perhaps this would be the recipe for smaller cookies, rather than an entire shortbread tray (which was what the previous recipe was intended for).

The recipe started off fine, and this time, Mrs Kong made sure that the butter was cooler than before. It was a lot of flour and sugar relative to the butter, but it seemed ok. However, Mrs Kong soon found that the mixture would not dough. It was a little frustrating - with 45 minutes of light kneading, but still no dough! D**n it Mary Berry, I had to alter the recipe!! And it did dough up in the end. Since it has been altered, it should now be called Mrs Kong's Very Special Shortbread cookies, and not just Mary Berry's. Only fair! (Hah!)

Mrs Kong's xmas tree factory

before oven

all buttery smelling out of the oven

Unlike normal butter cookies (which according to Mrs Kong's godmother, involves melting the butter into the mixture), shortbread does require a lot of patience. It requires knowledge & experience of the shortbread mixture, and the exact time to stop rubbing and doughing up. It looks simple enough, but not something one can do without patience!

Just like any other thing in life really!