The cooked cookies can be frozen for up to a month.

8oz butter 1/2 cup superfine sugar 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup fine semolina A little extra sugar

Shortbread is traditionally baked in ceramic molds, or in a round tin and cut into petticoat tails or wedges, but use whatever shaped tray you have for these crisp, yet wonderfully crumbly, cookies. To make festive shortbread shapes, roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8-1/4 inch, cut the shapes with cookie cutters, and bake in the over for 12-15 min.


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

1. Grease and flour a baking tray. Cream together the butter r and sugar in a bowl until the mix looks pale. Sift and mix in the flour and semolina, a little at a time.

2. Draw the mixture together with your fingertips to form a dough and tip it out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Knead the dough to a smooth, uniform consistency.

3. Put the dough into the prepared tray, press it down evenly, and prick it all over with a fork. Sprinkle sugar over the top and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes until firm.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until pale brown in color. Leave in the tray for 5 minutes, then slice into fingers, or triangles if you have used round trays, and leave to cool on a wire rack.