SHORTBREAD FINGERS

You’ll need

● 200g plain flour

● 50g cornflour (cornstarch), semolina or rice flour, or a combination

● 75g superfine caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

● Pinch of sea salt

● 175g butter at room temperature

● Flour, for dusting

Method To make 16 fingers:

1. Prepare a 20cm square cake tin by applying a thin layer of butter into the corners, then a strip of baking paper covering two sides and protruding above the tin, and then dust the lined tin with flour.

2. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine well. Rub in the butter until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it comes together into a smooth dough. Do not overknead or the biscuits will be less short and brittle.

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge while preheating the oven to 160C (320F).

4. Pat the dough flat, place it in the lined tin and push it out to cover the base. Place a second sheet of baking paper over a baking tray and flip the tin over to turn the dough out on to the tray, with the smooth side on top. Slide the dough back into the lined tin, with the smooth side up. Use a knife to gently score lines to cut the shortbread into 16 fingers.

5. Bake the shortbread in the middle of the oven for 35-40 minutes.

6. The shortbread shouldn’t gain too much colour

– a golden blush around the edges is enough. Remove the shortbread from the oven, cut it into fingers and sprinkle it with the caster sugar. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then use a spatula to carefully transfer the shortbread to a wire rack to cool completely.