Name: Botanical Shortbread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Ingredients: 250gram butter; 1 cup icing sugar; 3 cups flour; 2 tbsp orange juice; 2 tbsp ( 1 orange) zest; 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme; 1 /2 cup edible flowers

Beautiful and delicious floral shortbread with subtle flavours of orange and thyme. This basic shortbread recipe can easily be adjusted to add seasonal edible flowers and herbs from the garden. The perfect treat to impress your guests and enjoy with tea or coffee in the garden.

Botanical Shortbread

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Fresh, subtle flavours infused in soft melting biscuits. These botanical shortbread biscuits can be made using seasonal edible flowers and herbs.

Ingredients

250gram butter
1 cup icing sugar
3 cups flour
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp ( 1 orange) zest
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 /2 cup edible flowers

Instructions

Beat sugar and butter until very pale yellow/white and creamy.
Grate the zest of one large orange and add to the mix along with 2 TBSP of juice.
Mix through the flour to make a soft dough.
Wrap or cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 140 degrees. Lightly dust a baking tray with flour.
Remove the dough and lightly knead to bring it together.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to approx 1 cm thick (easier to manage using 1/2 the dough at a time)
Sprinkle over edible flower petals and fresh thyme leaves (removed from the stalk).
Gentle roll over the flowers. Some may not stick so just lightly press into place. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter and place on to the baking tray.
Merge the leftover edges and re-roll out and continue to cut shapes. The second roll will incorporate the flowers into the dough so you may want to add extras on top.
Bake for 15-20mins or until very slightly starting to go golden. You want to keep them pale so they don't become too dry and crumbly. Remove and allow to cool on a wire wrack.