Small star pastry cutter which fits well inside the edges of the circular cutter
Baking tray lined with greaseproof paper
Rolling pin
Instructions
To make the shortbread
In the stand mixer or bowl, cream together the butter and icing sugar - use the beater attachment on the stand mixer, or if creaming by hand mash with a fork and then mix together with a wooden spoon until creamy and light.
Next add the vanilla extract and mix again.
In a large bowl sieve the plain flour and stir in the salt. Add the flour to the butter mixture and continue to beat or stir together until a soft pastry is formed.
(NB: Alternatively use a food processor to mix the ingredients but whiz together the eggs and sugar first, then add the soft butter and then the dry ingredients.)
Bring the pastry into a ball then wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes remove the pastry from the fridge and pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C (Fan).
Dust flour over your work surface and rolling pin. Unwrap the pastry and roll in the flour.
Using the rolling pin, roll the pastry out to around 3mm thick. Use the round pastry cutter to cut out 24 circles (gather and re roll the pastry if necessary). Use the star pastry cutter to cut out a star shape in 12 (half) of the circles. (save the cut out stars for extra decoration). This will give you 12 base biscuits and 12 topper biscuits with stars cut out.
Transfer the circle and circles with stars onto the lined baking tray. Add the stars if theres space. (you may need to bake in two batches if your tray isn’t big enough).
Place in the centre of the oven and bake for around 12 minutes or until pale golden brown.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Putting together the jam and shortbread
When completely cool take the 12 biscuits without stars cut out. Place them upside down on your work surface and then add a heaped teaspoon of jam to each one. Carefully place a starred circle biscuit on top of each of these. Pile onto a serving plate and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.
Good to know: wrap in cling film and leave overnight to achieve a slightly softer biscuit (more like the texture of a scone - bis-scone!!) :-)