Strawberry shortbreads recipe

Stack these deliciously light little shortbreads with their cream and strawberry filling for an irresistible dessert. Try swapping the double cream for mascarpone if you fancy it and finely ground almonds to the shortbread mixture for something different. If using the hazelnuts simply substitute 3oz of flour for 3oz of the nuts.

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

• 115g (4oz) plain flour
• 115g (4oz) butter (at room temperature)
• 55g (2oz) caster sugar
• 55g (2oz) fine semolina

For the filling:

• 175ml (6fl oz) double cream
• 1tbsp vanilla sugar (or to taste)
• About 450g (1lb) fresh strawberries
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. To make the biscuits, combine all the ingredients to form a dough.
2. Place the dough in a polythene bag and allow it to rest in the fridge for 20 mins. Then roll it out between sheets of baking parchment on a floured surface to just under 5mm/¼in thick. Stamp out 16-20 triangles with a cutter, and carefully ease them on to lightly greased baking trays.
3. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF, gas mark 4), then bake the shortbread triangles on the centre shelf for 12-15 mins or until firm and golden. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool.
4. For the filling, whip the cream with the vanilla sugar until nice and thick. Spread on half of the shortbread triangles. Slice and hull most of the strawberries (reserving a few) and arrange on top. Place another shortbread triangle on top of each and dust with the icing sugar.
5. Serve with the remaining strawberries.