Lemon shortbread from Quince Cafe - Foodies corner
19/11/2011
Dear Test Kitchen, When we drive through Warkworth we always pop into the Quince Cafe. They have great coffee and homemade baking. Their homemade eccles cakes are a special treat but my husband loves the amazing lemon shortbread. Can you please ask them for the recipe? Mrs T Shaw, Whangarei Dear Mrs Shaw, Thanks for your letter. The owner and chef/ baker at the Quince Cafe is Rodney Greaves and the original recipe belongs to his much-loved grandmother, Nora May overall. In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a busy housekeeper to families in Parnell, Auckland and these biscuits were in serious demand. He says to ensure you don't pull the shortbread out of the oven before it shows some colour - "that's where the flavour is!" - and at Christmas you can add dried cranberries or currants for a festive touch. Store when cool in an airtight jar and if for any reason it's left open, place the shortbread on a tray and re-bake to refresh them. If you like to get ahead with your baking, you can always make the shortbread and roll any unbaked dough in plastic wrap to keep in the freezer for baking later.
Ingredients
| 300 g | Butter |
| 1 cup | Icing sugar |
| 1 | Lemon |
| 3 cups | Flour |
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degC.
- Cream butter and icing sugar with the lemon zest of a lemon.
- Mix in flour.
- Form mixture into a ball. It will look dry, but fear not, it works.
- Roll out mixture on a very lightly floured bench. Cut out shapes or form into a long sausage and cut into 1cm slices.
- Place on a lightly greased baking tray, prick with a fork and bake for 20 minutes for larger shapes or less for small shapes.
- When cool, store in an airtight container.
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