Nola is a friend of my mum’s, they have worked together for a very long time. I won’t tell you how long because that would be rude and give you an indication of how old they are and a woman should never tell her age… (well that is what my pop use to say)
Anyway, you all know that I am a Thermomix consultant, well Nola had a demonstration and bought one! When you purchase a Thermomix your consultant comes to your house to deliver and talks you through all the features, makes sure you are comfortable with everything, then you make vegetable stock together! Then home I go… I say thank you very much, I will be in contact with you, make sure you text me and send me pictures of all the yummy things you are making… enjoy your Thermi!
Well because Nola is a good friend of my mums and I have known her since I was about 10, when she asked me to help her make a few things, what was I going to say! 🙂 First we made some steam bread dumplings and filled them with sautéed onions and mushrooms. The bread was something she has wanted to do after attending an Asian cooking class earlier that week!
Then Nola says, could I help her convert this recipe as she needs to make a few batches today and wants to use the Thermi… I’ve got plenty of time and I am having a wonderful time cooking in her great kitchen, so why not! I’m so glad I did, because this is just about the easiest short bread I have ever made… and not only that, it is delicious! I must confess the dough is also delicious… I could just eat that and I would be very happy, but probably a bit sick!
Ingredients
250g Butter
3/4 Cup White Sugar (135g)
2 1/2 Cups Plain Flour (400g)
Pinch of Salt
150g Chocolate Chips or Pistachios (or you could just have them plain)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 120 degrees and prepare baking trays with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar until well combined and you can feel no sugar… about 15 minutes.
3. Add flour, salt and Chocolate chips and mix until well combined
4. Place mixture between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to about 1 cm thick.
5. Cut out the shapes that you want and place them on a large baking tray.
6. Squash the remaining mixture together again and repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have no mixture left.
I’m not very good at fitting as many in as I can, but it doesn’t matter with this recipe! You just squash all the bits up and start again!
7. Bake shapes in the oven for 15 minutes. Rest on the tray for at least 15 minutes then careful place biscuits on a cooling rack.
THERMOMIX METHOD
This recipe was made in the TM5 and exact quantities can me made in the TM31
1. Place sugar into the mixing bowl and mill 30 seconds/speed 10.
2. Add butterfly and secure, place softened butter in mixing bowl and beat 2 minutes/speed 4.
3. Add flour, salt and chocolate chips and mix 10 seconds/reverse/speed 2.
I found that the Thermi really struggled to mix after the first 5 seconds. If that happen remove the butterfly and give it a bit of a mix with the spatula, it should be mostly combine anyway!
4. Place mixture between two sheets of baking paper and roll out to about 1 cm thick.
5. Cut out the shapes that you want and place them on a large baking tray.
6. Squash the remaining mixture together again and repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have no mixture left.
I’m not very good at fitting as many in as I can, but it doesn’t matter with this recipe! You just squash all the bits up and start again!
7. Bake shapes in the oven for 15 minutes. Rest on the tray for at least 15 minutes then careful place biscuits on a cooling rack.
This recipe normally makes 70 small round disks or little stars like I have made. Nola likes pistachios in hers so the next batch I am making is going to have pistachios in it and then I am going to make a plain batch. They make great presents, are inexpensive and look fantastic popped into a cellophane bag with a ribbon, or one of those cheap christmas tins you can get from the dollars shop (as pictured)!
Keep them in airtight containers and they will last for ages… if you live in humidity (like I do) you might like to keep them in the fridge, if they last any longer than a week!
Don’t forget to pop in and leave a message for me, I love to hear from you all!
Merry Christmas! ENJOY!
Liz xx
If you like these delicious biscuits why not have a look a these other great recipes
Liz xx
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