Pollen butter shortbread recipe

Shortbread is so simple and so good. There are several secrets for a perfect shortbread recipe. Firstly, the butter matters. French butter has a higher butterfat content than British and its slightly firmer character really does make a difference. Granulated sugar gives a better texture than caster sugar, a tip from food writer Rose Prince. A high proportion of fine semolina to plain flour makes this version extra-short, or crumbly – you press the dough into the tin rather than rolling it out. For the best result, leave the dough to chill before cooking it. After experimenting, this shortbread recipe contains no honey: I use sugar because the way the crystals melt apparently creates minuscule holes in the dough – yet another part of the delectable texture.

Shortbread Recipe Heaven

I’ve included the recipe in this book because of the dusting of pollen: the golden flecks combine with the snowy sugar to make this a shortbread with a difference.

A recipe from Spoonfuls of Honey by Hattie Ellis (Pavilion). Buy the book here.