Sufra Dayma:

Shortbread Stars

By Moushira Abdel-Malek

---

Makes 50

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups plain flour

3/4 cup rice flour

3/4 cup icing sugar

3-4 tbsp castor sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

250 gms butter (at room temperature)

Method:

Line two trays with non-stick baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and icing sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla essence. Use a knife to fold in the flour, until dough begins to form (the mixture may look dry, but keep mixing). Use your hands to bring dough together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out dough to 5 mm thick and cut out biscuits with a 5 cm star-shaped cutter (from point to point). Re-roll any leftover dough and repeat. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Sprinkle the biscuits with the castor sugar, then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake biscuits, swapping trays halfway through cooking for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden and cooked through. Cool then transfer stars to a serving plate.

Happy Eastern Christmas...!!