This delicately citrus-flavoured shortbread makes a classic Christmas treat that’s perfect with a cup of tea. I use Trade Aid Golden Cane Sugar, ground in a blender, for a special caster sugar that adds a subtle caramel colour and taste – and Fairtrade goodness!
Recipe and styling Sarah Heeringa. Photography Amanda Reelick
Makes approximately 25 star biscuits
For the biscuits
- 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 50g caster sugar, with extra for sprinkling
- 125g butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 orange, zest and juice
For the icing
- ¼ cup icing sugar
- remaining orange and lemon juice
- silver cachous balls, optional
Preheat the oven to 170°C / 325°F.
Mix the flour and sugar together in a bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub it into the flour mix using your fingertips until it is like breadcrumbs. Add baking powder, vanilla essence, lemon and orange zest and combine together using a knife. Add just enough juice to allow the mixture to come together as a ball. Dust a surface with flour and roll out the dough to 2cm thick. Cut into stars, re-rolling the dough scraps as necessary. Transfer onto an oven tray lined with greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with a little sugar. Place on the middle rack of the oven to bake for approximately 10 minutes, until just starting to turn golden. Allow biscuits to cool on a rack, before icing and decorating half of them.
