Desserts Clementine Shortbread Stars

Makes : 40-60

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes, plus cooling

Clementine Shortbread Stars

Ingredients

Ingredients for biscuits -

  • 250g softened butter
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 clementines, zested
  • 150g cornflour
  • 300g plain flour

Ingredients for icing -

  • 2 egg whites
  • 450g icing sugar
  • 2 tsp clementine juice
  • 2 tbsp glycerine
  • Food colour as required

Nutrition

Calories columnFat columnSaturates columnSugars columnSalt column
Calories
102 per serving
5% %GDA
Fat
4g per serving
6% %GDA
Saturates
2g per serving
10% %GDA
Sugars
10g per serving
11% %GDA
Salt
0.10g per serving
2% %GDA

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4.

  2. Put the butter and sugar into a large bowl and whisk for at least 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

  3. Beat in the egg, zest the clementines straight over the bowl then fold in the cornflour and flour and mix to a soft dough.

  4. Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until smooth. Form into a thick flat disc and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

  5. Cut in half and set half aside, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick.

  6. Stamp out whatever shapes you fancy and place onto baking sheets, leaving at least 1cm between each biscuit. If using as tree decorations, make a little hole at the top of the biscuit with a skewer – press it into the dough and wriggle around in a circle to create a small round hole, big enough to pass a piece of ribbon or thread through it.

  7. Repeat with the remaining dough.

  8. Place into the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown and just firm to the touch. Remove and allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheet. Leave to cool totally before icing.

  9. To make the icing, put the egg whites into a large bowl and whisk lightly until foamy. Sift the icing sugar into the egg whites then beat until really thick and light.

  10. Add the clementine juice and glycerine and beat some more until glossy and smooth.

  11. If you want to use different colours, divide the icing into several separate bowls and colour with the food gels.

  12. Spoon into piping bags then decorate the biscuits however you fancy – if you’re feeling fancy, pipe a small line around the edge of the biscuit then fill the centre with the remaining icing. Decorate with little baubles and glitter dust.

  13. Leave to set then add ribbons if you want to use them as decorations.