RASPBERRY AND CRANBERRY SHORTBREAD TART

Preparation time 20 mins plus 30 mins chilling Cooking time 25 mins Serves 10

250g unsalted butter, chopped, cold, plus extra to grease 2/3 cup icing sugar mixture, plus extra to dust

2½ cups plain flour, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda Ribbon, mini bells and red

chocolate button, to decorate ½ cup raspberry jam

¼ cup dried cranberries,

very finely chopped Finely grated zest of ½ orange

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180ºc fanforced (200°C conventional). Put butter, icing sugar, flour, vanilla and bicarb in a food processor and process until dough just comes together. Divide dough into 3 equal portions, combine 2 and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate.

STEP 2 Roll out remaining dough portion between 2 sheets of baking paper to 4mm thick to form a rough circle. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.

STEP 3 Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Use a 4cm star cutter,

5 x 5cm reindeer cookie cutter and a 9 x 6cm sleigh cutter, to cut out 7 stars, 4 reindeer shapes and 1 sleigh shape from the rolled dough, re-rolling as necessary. Arrange shapes on prepared trays, 2cm apart, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

STEP 4 Meanwhile, grease base and side of a 25cm (base measurement) fluted removable base tart tin with extra butter, then line base with baking paper. Press reserved larger portion of dough into base of prepared tin.

STEP 5 Bake tart base for 25 minutes or until golden brown, and bake the stars, reindeers and sleigh shapes for 15 minutes or until very light golden. Set shapes aside to cool to room temperature. Dust shapes in icing sugar mixture. Tie ribbons and bells around reindeer necks to decorate, if desired. Add chocolate button for Rudolph’s nose.

STEP 6 Meanwhile, combine raspberry jam, dried cranberries and orange zest in a small bowl then spread to completely cover the cooked warm tart base. Remove from tin and transfer to a serving plate. STEP 7 Arrange dusted sleigh and reindeers on top of the jam layer on a ribbon across the middle of the tart. Arrange dusted stars above and below around the tart edge. Serve.