Shortbread like Granny still makes
Ingredients
11 oz [305 g] of self raising (or plain) flour
5 oz [140 g] castor sugar
8 oz [225 g] butter (not marg)
About 6 chopped crystallised cherries if desired
A tin about 8 x 10 with 1 ½ walls [200mm x 250mm x40mm]
(incidentally, made of quite rigid steel)
Method
Gently Melt the butter in a pan until its clear, take it off the heat and add the flour and sugar while still warm in tablespoons until you get it into a solid stiff consistency.
Grease the tin thoroughly with butter, transfer the mixture and carefully flatten it down (avoid compressing it).
Take the 6 finely chopped cherries and scatter/place them reasonably evenly over the mixture in the tin. (When cooking for Andrew, press them down into the mixture.)
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4½ [185C, 360F] and place the tin in the middle and bake for 20 mins. Check the colour at this stage, and if you like it browner, leave for 5 mins more.
Take out of the oven, and after it has cooled for a couple of mins. cut up into sizes of your choice.
Leave to cool for about 10 mins. longer, then turn the shortbread out of the tin onto a cooling rack, then sandwich with a second rack and invert to get the pieces the right way up.
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