Lemon Shortbread Cookies - Pihikete Pata Rēmana
A delicious lemon spiked shortbread cookie, perfect for decorating at Christmas time.
Servings 30 cookies
Ingredients
The Lemon Biscuits - Ngā Pihikete Rēmana
- 250 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 1 C (165 g) puehu huka (icing sugar)
- Kiri rēmana (lemon zest, of 2 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) wanira (vanilla)
- ¼ teaspoon (2 g) tote (salt)
- 2 C (300 g) puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 C (120 g) puehu kānga (cornflour)
The Decorations - Ngā Whakarākei (All Optional)
- 100 g tiakarete mā (white chocolate)
- 60 g Ruireka (sprinkles, of your choosing, mine were a pack from the supermarket)
- 50 g tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate, 50%)
- 3 tablespoon paura kōhia tauraki-tio (freeze dried passionfruit powder)
Instructions
Whip the Butter and Sugar:
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar), kiri rēmana (lemon zest), wanira (vanilla) and tote (salt) in to large bowl.
- Whip on high for 5 minutes until light in colour and fluffy in texture.
Add the Dry Ingredients:
- Add the puehu parāoa (flour) and puehu kānga (cornflour).
- Stir with a spatula or a knife to roughly combine the ingredients.
Gently Knead the Dough:
- Tip it on to a lightly floured tēpu (table) and gently knead until all the dough has come together. Do not over knead the dough here, just bring the ingredients together and stop kneading.
Roll out the Dough:
- Add the dough to a large piece of baking paper and roll it out to approximately 1.5 cm thick.
Cut out the Cookie Shapes:
- Cut out the shapes you are creating. I like to dip my cutter in to flour, press it in to the dough and then pinch the cutter so it holds on to the dough and place it on a tray.
- You can also just press the shapes all over and remove the excess pieces of dough, leaving it on the baking paper you rolled it out on.
- Combine the scraps of dough, roll them out again and repeat the process.
Chill the Cookies:
- Once you have filled the tray with pihikete (biscuits), refrigerate for 15 minutes, tray and all. This helps the pihikete (cookies) keep their shape when they bake.
Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 160 °C.
- Bake the pihikete (biscuits) for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the tray for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Melt the White Chocolate:
- Chop the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) in to small chunks and add them to a heat proof bowl.
- Place the bowl on top of a pot of barely simmering water that is around 3cm deep. Make sure the bowl is not touching the water. Stir it occasionally until it is melted and smooth. I recommend using this method with tiakarete mā (white chocolate) as it can burn easily in the microwave.
Decorate the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
- Add ½ teaspoon of tiakarete mā kua rewaina (melted white chocolate) on to each cookie.
- Sprinkle with ruireka (sprinkles) in whatever fashion you like whilst the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) is not set.
- Do around 5 cookies at a time and then do the sprinkles so the tiakarete (chocolate) doesn't set before you have them on.
- Chill for 10 minutes. They are ready to eat just as they are.
Add Passionfruit Flavour (Optional):
- For a bit of kōhia (passionfruit) zing, you can sprinkle a touch of paura kōhia tauraki-tio (freeze dried passionfruit powder) on to the tiakarete mā (white chocolate) before it has set.
Add some Dark Chocolate (Optional):
- You can also melt the tiakarete parauri (dark chocolate) in the same way you melted the tiakarete mā (white chocolate). Then use a small piping tip to pipe designs on to the set white chocolate. There are no rules here - just have fun with it.
Chill the Cookies:
- Whakamātaohia (refirgerate) for 10 - 20 minutes until all the tiakarete (chocolate) is set.
Gift them to Others:
- These are perfect for giving away to friends and whānau (family) during the Christmas season. Put them in a second hand cookie tin and tie them in a bow!
Storing the Lemon Shortbread Cookies:
- These will keep well for up to a week in a sealed container. They can be stored in the fridge or a cool cupboard.