Let’s celebrate: Berry and cream shortbreads 

Let’s celebrate: Berry and cream shortbreads

You can use any berry jam in the filling of these pretty sandwiched shortbreads.

MAKES 8-10

PREPARE 30 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling

COOK 20 minutes

110g unsalted butter, at room temperature

50g caster sugar, plus an extra tbsp for sprinkling

½ tsp vanilla bean paste

170g plain flour

¼ tsp fine salt

Filling

100g berry jam (use strawberry, blackberry, raspberry or a mixture of different jams)

1-2 tbsp clotted cream

  • Place the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl and cream with electric beaters for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt then beat with a wooden spoon to a smooth paste.
  • Bring the dough together with your hands and place on a large sheet of baking parchment. Cover with another large sheet of baking paper and pat out between the sheets, to about 1.5cm thick. Chill for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 170C/ 150C fan/gas 3½ and line a large, flat baking tray with baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge and, still between the parchment, roll out to 3mm thick all over. Remove the top layer of paper and use a 7cm round biscuit cutter to stamp out as many biscuits as possible.
  • Taking half of the biscuits, stamp a 3cm circle (the base of a piping nozzle should be about the right size or cut freehand with a sharp knife) in the centre of them. Carefully lift the biscuits (removing the holes from those that have been stamped out) on to the lined baking tray. Re-roll the holes and any other scraps of dough to make more biscuits (you may need to chill the dough in between rolling if it becomes too soft).
  • Scatter the biscuits with the extra sugar and bake for 14-16 minutes until they are a light golden colour. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • For the filling, mix the jam and cream together to a smooth, glossy mixture. Spread a teaspoonful over the unsugared side of the whole biscuits and top with the stamped-out biscuits.

TIP These are best eaten the day they are made. If you want to make them in advance, store the unfilled biscuits in an airtight container and sandwich with the jam just before serving.