Jamie Oliver's Shortbread

The best shortbread in the world!!! Or is it? That is the question, ladies and gentlemen. Jamie Oliver says yes. I say, well not really. Don't get me wrong. It's very good. Perhaps not the best ever in the whole wide world though.

But really who cares. This shortbread is lovely, light and buttery. It's got a good crisp crunch which is what I like in a shortbread. It's a no nonsense basic recipe and takes almost no time at all.

Nevertheless, there were two issues. First of all the recipe says to roll out the dough. For my mind it was far too soft to do that. I couldn't see how I could possibly get it into the tin in one piece. So i just spooned it straight into the tin and flattened it out with the back of a spoon. It worked fine.

Then there was the cooking time. The recipe says 150C for 50 minutes. By that stage it was still soft and mushy. I left it in for an extra 25 minutes and then it was perfect. It never really browned though. I have no idea why.

It all came together in the end. I'll certainly be making it again. I think it would, as Jamie suggests, be lovely with some lemon zest.

The Best Shortbread in the World
(By Jamie Oliver in Cooking with Jamie)

Cream 250g unsalted butter and 125g of caster sugar. Add 250g of plain flour and 125g of semolina or cornflour. Mix lightly.

Press into a 22cm square tin and prick with a fork. It should be about two centimetres thick. Bake in 150C oven for 50 minutes (or longer if need be). While warm sprinkle with caster sugar. Cut into fingers.