Coconut Shortbread

I grew up with this shortbread on the biscuit barrel regularly.

Mum always baked it in a tin, marked with a knife into wedges and using fork prongs to make a decorative pattern. This quantity makes four wheels.

The boys like biscuits rather than wedges, go figure, so I now roll the dough by hand and then roll it in coconut.

You can freeze the unbaked dough, I roll it into a fat sausage, double wrap in cling film and label. To bake, allow to defrost, roll the entire sausage in coconut and then cut slices and bake as below.

Makes around 36-40 depending on size.

Ingredients

450g butter, at room temperature

225g caster sugar

450g plain flour

225g desiccated coconut, plus extra

225g cornflour

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade.

Line three baking sheets with baking parchment.

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat to form a dough.

Pour a little extra coconut into a bowl.

Take a small piece of dough, size of a ping pong ball.

Roll it into a ball, roll it in the coconut and then gently flatten with your hand, place on the prepared baking sheet.

Repeat until all the dough is used, pop the first two trays into the oven and bake for 20-25 mins., keep an eye on them!

Once they are golden brown, allow to cool for 5mins and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely, store in an airtight container.

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