Christmas Tree Shortbread

Name: Christmas Tree Shortbread
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: 135 g butter, softened; 50 g caster sugar; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste; 60 g ground rice/rice flour; 150 g plain flour; 225 g royal icing sugar, sifted; Green food colouring gel or paste; Sugar sprinkles, to decorate, see intro; Piping bag; Plain or star/fluted nozzle

A classic vanilla shortbread makes the perfect base for this simple yet impressive decoration.

By The Good Housekeeping Cookery TeamPublished: 30 September 2024

Jump to recipe

The icing will start to set quickly once piped, so decorate with sprinkles quickly as you go. Or better yet, get someone to help you!

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

35 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 5 mins

Cal/Serv:

331

Ingredients

FOR THE BISCUITS

135 g
butter, softened
50 g
caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp.
vanilla bean paste
60 g
ground rice/rice flour
150 g
plain flour

TO DECORATE

225 g
royal icing sugar, sifted
Green food colouring gel or paste
Sugar sprinkles, to decorate, see intro

YOU WILL ALSO NEED

Piping bag
Plain or star/fluted nozzle

Directions

1. Step 1For the biscuits, in a large bowl using a wooden spoon, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Stir in the ground rice/rice flour until combined, followed by the plain flour. Using your hands, bring the dough together into a ball.
2. Step 2Place the dough between 2 large sheets of baking parchment and pat, then roll out to a rough 20cm circle, with an even 1cm thickness. Slide on to a baking sheet (still within parchment) and chill for 1hr.
3. Step 3Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Peel off the top sheet of parchment and use a large, sharp knife to slice the dough circle into 8 equal triangles through the centre (don’t separate). Trim the base of each triangle from a curve into a flat line (see GH TIP) to make an octagon.
4. Step 4Bake for 25-30min, or until pale golden and sandy to the touch. Leave to cool on the sheet until just warm, then slice along the triangle lines with a large knife to separate. Cool completely.
5. Step 5To decorate, in a medium bowl, whisk the royal icing sugar with a generous dash of green colouring gel/paste and 2-3tbsp cold water to make a very stiff but just pipeable consistency (adjust with more royal icing sugar or water, as needed).
6. Step 6Scrape into a piping bag fitted with a fine plain or star/fluted nozzle. Starting at the top of each biscuit, pipe down in a zigzag motion, making increasing conjoined horizontal lines to form a triangular- shaped tree. Decorate while wet with sugar sprinkles. Leave to set for at least 1hr (ideally overnight) before serving.

TO STORE
Once set overnight store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

GH TIP
You can press any trimmings into small, round biscuits (about 8mm thick) and bake alongside the triangles (spaced well apart).

Per biscuit (without sprinkles):