Memories of my Nana came flooding back as I made this shortbread. She was the shortbread Goddess and the Edmonds cookbook was her bible. Adapted from the Edmonds recipe book with the addition of cardamom and vanilla, this most fragrant, crisp, and buttery shortbread is the perfect thing to serve up for afternoon tea after a long day at the beach.

It provides the most lovely cheesecake base for our Ironclad Seedlip Gin and Tonic Lime Cheesecake. I think this might just be my best invention yet and, if you’re in the mood for a show stopper of a pud, it should be on your New Year’s Eve recipe must make list!  

INGREDIENTS

225 g butter
¾ c caster sugar
1 T vanilla essence
½ c corn flour, sifted
1 t whole cardamom seeds, ground finely or ¾ t ground cardamom
1 ½ c white flour, sifted
¼ t salt

METHOD

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence, then all of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Don’t over mix.

Divide the dough into two. You can use half to make the Ironclad Seedlip Gin and Tonic Lime Cheesecake. Or make 2 skillet shortbreads as per instructions below or make just 1 thick skillet short bread using all the dough at once. Your choice!

Heat the oven to 150°C.

Grease your cold Legacy Pan well with butter and place half the dough, formed into a ball, into the middle of the pan. Flatten the dough out with your hands to a circle, leaving 2cm from the pan’s edge. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 10 or 12 segments, depending on which size you like. Prick liberally with a fork and bake for 30-35 minutes until just beginning to brown.

Whilst still hot, re-cut the shortbread.

Dust with icing sugar when cool and serve straight from the pan to table.