Treat yourself to some delicious home made biscuits, with a touch of special real vanilla pod.
Make it beautiful by cooking it in a special shortbread mould, usually adorned with Thistles to show it’s Scottish heritage!
Gordon Ramsay Vanilla Luxury Shortbread
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
250g plain flour
Pinch of sea salt
125g unsalted butter
90g caster sugar
2 medium free range eggs
1 vanilla pod
Method
Cut the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and beat together with the eggs in a small bowl.
In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Gradually add the beaten egg mixture very slowly, incorporating with each addition until all is added.
Sift in the flour and add in the salt & incorporate until it comes together into a dough.
Turn out on to a floured surface with floured hands and press together to form a ball.
Place a piece of greaseproof paper on a baking tray or grease a 20 cm across mould, set aside.
Flatten the dough ball and lightly roll out to 1cm thickness.
If not using a mould, use a 20cm plate as a guide to trim the shortbread to a perfect circle and carefully lift on to the tray.
If not using a guide, use a large knife to score the dough into 8 sections, not cutting all the way through then lightly press two dimples on the edge of each section with your thumb.
Cover loosely and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 160oc and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until pale and golden.
Leave for a few minutes if using a mould, then turn out and leave to cool, or just slide on to a cooling rack and sprinkle with caster sugar while still warm.
Leave to cool, break along the scores and enjoy with a cup of tea!