Macadamia and lemon myrtle shortbread

Surprisingly simple and super quick to make this shortbread dough is the perfect one to make ahead of time as it will store in your fridge or freezer until you are ready to slice and bake it.

Credit: Danielle Abou Karam

• makes

  30

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

The tangy lemongrass-like flavour and aroma of the lemon myrtle leaf works beautifully with the buttery macadamias – two Australian native ingredients perfect for each other! The extra sprinkling of the lemon myrtle once the biscuits are baked will give them extra zing.

Ingredients

• 100 g unsalted macadamias, toasted and cooled (see Notes)
• 150 g salted butter, diced, softened slightly
• 125 g (½ cup) icing sugar, sifted
• 200 g (1⅓ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 30 g (⅓ cup) cornflour
• 3 tsp ground lemon myrtle leaf, plus extra to sprinkle

Chilling time:  1 hour

Instructions

1. Place the toasted macadamias in the bowl of a food processor and use the pulse button to process until coarsely ground. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the butter and icing sugar to the bowl of the food processor and process until smooth and well combined. Sift together the flour and cornflour and add to the food processor bowl with the ground macadamias and 1 teaspoon of the ground lemon myrtle leaf. Use the pulse button to process until just combined and the mixture starts to come together as a dough – be careful not to over process.
3. Turn the mixture onto a bench top, then knead with your fingertips briefly until it comes together and is smooth. Divide the dough into two equal portions and roll each into thick sausages about 4 cm in diameter and 15cm long. Cut two pieces of baking paper, large enough to wrap each roll and sprinkle each with half the remaining ground lemon myrtle leaf. Roll each dough roll in the lemon myrtle to coat the outside as evenly as possible. Wrap the baking paper around the rolls, twisting the ends to seal.  Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until ready to bake.
4. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line two large oven trays with non-stick baking paper.
5. Unwrap the shortbread dough, slice into 1 cm-thick rounds and place on the baking trays about 2 cm apart to allow for spreading.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through baking, or until pale golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool on the trays. Sprinkle with a little extra lemon myrtle before serving or storing.

Notes

• To toast the macadamias, spread on an oven tray and toast in an oven preheated to 180°C for 5 - 8 minutes, shaking the tray occasionally, until lightly golden and aromatic.

• This shortbread will keep in an airtight container or jar for up to 1 week.

• The uncooked dough, rolled into logs and wrapped well in plastic wrap, can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week. It can also be kept in the freezer, sealed in freezer bags or an airtight container, for up to 1 month. Thaw the rolls in the fridge before slicing and baking.

Photography by Danielle Abou Karam.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

The tangy lemongrass-like flavour and aroma of the lemon myrtle leaf works beautifully with the buttery macadamias – two Australian native ingredients perfect for each other! The extra sprinkling of the lemon myrtle once the biscuits are baked will give them extra zing.