Hazelnut Shortbread Biscuits
Ingredients
125 g Flour (plain)- 50 g Hazelnuts (ground)
50 g Sugar (brown) Soft & light- 100 g Butter (salted)
2 tbsp Milk- 1 tbsp Sugar (brown) for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160 °C (320 °F). Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, ground hazelnuts, and 50g of soft light brown sugar. Stir with a whisk or fork to ensure they are evenly distributed.
- Cut the softened salted butter into small cubes and add it to the bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients gently until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Work quickly to avoid warming the butter too much.
- Add the milk to the mixture. Using your hands, bring the dough together into a ball, gently kneading just until it forms a smooth, cohesive dough. Do not overwork it.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out the dough to an even thickness of about 5mm. If the dough cracks at the edges, let it sit for a minute to soften slightly before continuing.
- Using a 2cm round cutter (or the rim of a small liqueur glass), cut out circles from the dough. Gather the scraps, gently re-roll them, and continue cutting until all the dough is used.
- Place the circles onto the prepared baking trays, leaving a little space between each one (they won't spread much). Using a fork, gently prick each biscuit three times to create the classic shortbread pattern. Sprinkle the tops evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon of soft light brown sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until the biscuits are just set and very lightly golden. They should not be dark brown. You may need to bake in batches depending on your tray size.
- Allow the biscuits to cool on the trays for 5 minutes – they will be very fragile when hot. Then, carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
- Once completely cold, store the hazelnut shortbread biscuits in an airtight tin. They will keep well for up to 2 days.
Notes
The trick to tender shortbread is working quickly and gently; warm hands will melt the butter before it hits the oven, turning delicate biscuits into dense pucks. Rolling to an even 5mm thickness ensures they bake uniformly, and the classic fork pricks aren’t just decorative – they allow steam to escape and prevent cracking. The final sprinkle of brown sugar before baking creates a delicate, caramelised crust that plain sugar can’t match. Let them cool completely on the tray before moving; they’re astonishingly fragile when hot and will crumble at the slightest provocation. If you enjoy these, you should try my Classic Moist Banana Bread or my French Toast next – they share the same love for humble ingredients becoming something genuinely special.
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