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Currant and lemon shortbread with vanilla glaze

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for currant and lemon shortbread with vanilla glaze.

By Emma Knowles
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 15 mins cooking plus resting, cooling
  • Serves 12
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Currant and lemon shortbread with vanilla glaze
These iced lemon-scented biscuits are a great pantry standby - they'll keep in a well-sealed tin for at least three days and make the perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea.

Ingredients

  • 250 gm (1 2/3 cups) plain flour
  • 90 gm pure icing sugar
  • Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • Finely grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 125 gm chilled butter, coarsely chopped
  • 30 gm currants
  • 20 gm candied lemon (optional), diced
  • 2 egg yolks
Vanilla glaze
  • 55 gm (¼ cup) caster sugar
  • Scraped seeds of 1 vanilla bean
  • 180 gm pure icing sugar, sieved
  • 10 gm butter

Method

Main
  • 1
    Blend flour, sugar, vanilla seeds, rind and 1 tsp sea salt in a food processor to combine, add butter, currants and candied lemon and process until a sandy texture. Add yolks, process to just combine, tip out onto a work surface and bring dough together with the heel of your hand. Form into a disc, roll out to 1cm thick on a piece of floured baking paper and refrigerate to rest (30 minutes).
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 180C. Cut out rounds with a 6cm cutter, place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake, turning tray occasionally, until golden around the edges (10-12 minutes). Set aside to cool on trays for 5 minutes.
  • 3
    For vanilla glaze, stir sugar, vanilla seeds and 50ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, then bring to the boil and cook until a light syrup forms (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat, add icing sugar, butter and 1-2 tbsp hot water to achieve a smooth glazing consistency.
  • 4
    Dip one side of warm shortbread biscuits into vanilla glaze, allowing excess to drip off, place on a tray lined with baking paper and stand until set (10-15 minutes). Store in an airtight container.