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Tick tock shortbread


Makes: 18 biscuits
timePrep time: 30 mins
timeTotal time:
Tick tock shortbread
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole.

Tick tock shortbread


Makes: 18 biscuits
timePrep time: 30 mins
timeTotal time:

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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
243Kcal
Fat
11gr
Saturates
7gr
Carbs
36gr
Sugars
24gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
1gr
Salt
0.2gr

Kim Morphew

Kim Morphew

London-based food stylist and writer Kim Morphew has been contributing to Sainsbury's magazine since 2008. She is creator of the children's cookery book and baking range, The Kookey Chefs.

See more of Kim Morphew’s recipes
Kim Morphew

Kim Morphew

London-based food stylist and writer Kim Morphew has been contributing to Sainsbury's magazine since 2008. She is creator of the children's cookery book and baking range, The Kookey Chefs.

See more of Kim Morphew’s recipes

Ingredients

  • 225g softened butter
  • 100g caster sugar
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp lemon thyme leaves (or use regular thyme), optional
  • 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 50g cornflour
  • 1 x 500g pack royal icing sugar
  • 15-20 drops black food colouring (we used Dr Oetker)
  • 1 tube of black food colouring gel

Step by step

Get ahead
Make up to 3 days ahead; store in an airtight container. The uniced biscuits can also be frozen.
  1. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. In a food processor, whiz together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and thyme (if using) until light and fluffy. Add the flour, cornflour and a pinch of salt; whiz together until it begins to form clumps. Lightly dust a work surface with a little flour and knead the dough lightly until smooth.
  2. Roll the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper until about 1cm thick. Using a 6cm round cookie cutter, stamp out as many rounds as you can, and place on the baking sheets, evenly spaced. Re-roll the trimmings and stamp out the remaining rounds so that you have 18 in total. Prick each one a couple of times with a fork, then chill for an hour or until firm.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4. Bake for about 10 minutes, swap the trays round and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
    Tip
    Not an icing queen? These shortbreads are just as delicious uniced, or drizzle them with a simple glacé icing.
  4. To decorate, make up the royal icing according to pack instructions until it resembles soft peaks. Transfer 150g of the icing into a bowl and colour black with the food colouring, adding a drop at a time to reach the right shade (about 15-20 drops). Cover the remaining white icing with clingfilm placed directly over its surface, to prevent it drying out. Spoon the black icing into a disposable piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe a line around the edge of each cookie (or use a small plain piping nozzle); leave to dry for 10 minutes.
  5. Check the consistency of the white icing (it needs to be thick but spreadable), add a drop of water if needed, then spoon a little icing onto each cookie, using the back of a teaspoon to spread in a circle up to the black edge. Leave for about an hour or until set hard. Use the black icing pen to write on the numbers and hands of a clock face. Leave to dry.

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