Yuzu Shortbread

Perfect shortbread for any time of the year

This is a really lovely zingy, light shortbread, flavored with dried yuzu. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus that is somewhat like a cross between Meyer lemon and a lime. They are lovely and knobby in appearance. I bought my dried yuzu at the Japanese store, you can also buy it online, but if you are lucky enough to get a your hands on a fresh one, substitute the dried Yuzu in this recipe for fresh zest!

Shortbread is so easy and comes together very quickly, really the most finicky part is shaping it. It is nice to keep a log of shortbread in the freezer and just slice off a few pieces when you want a sweet treat.

The best shortbread are freshly baked, with a lovely crispness, followed by a buttery melting in the mouth. As with any pastry, don’t over-mix the dough or it will become tough, a very sad state for shortbread, but don’t be too paranoid, this is a fairly foolproof method.

Yuzu Shortbread

This recipe can easily be scaled up to make more shortbread.

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 heaping T dried yuzu

170g butter, softened (very soft, leave it out on the counter overnight to soften if it isn’t too hot)

Glaze

2/3 c powdered sugar

Juice of 1 lime

• Sift the flour and powdered sugar and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer and mix in the yuzu. On low speed, using the paddle attachment if you have the option, add the butter to the dough and mix together until it become a soft dough, then turn off the mixer.

• Shape the dough into a log, either round, triangular, square or rectangular, your preference. Do this by setting a piece of baking parchment on to the counter and then spooning the dough on top in a long mass. Use you hands, a little flour on them can help, roughly shape it into a log and then pull the baking paper up and around the dough, then use the bench to roll or flatten into your desired shape. Keeping the baking paper around the dough, refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to harden.

• To bake, preheat the oven to 350F/180C (330F/160C convection), slice the dough into 1/4inch or 1/2cm slices (or thicker if you prefer a chunkier shortbread), place on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leaving about an inch between each shortbread. Bake for 11-14 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool on the tray or transfer to a cooking rack.

• To make the glaze, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in enough lime juice to form a thick, barely flowing paste (you may not need all the juice). It should be opaque and just slowly fall off the spoon. When the shortbread are cool, drizzle (slowly, it is a little awkward) over the cooled shortbread. Allow the glaze to set for about an hour before serving.

A pack of dried Yuzu and what it looks like inside.