Nougat Shortbread Biscuits

Yield: ±15 biscuits

INGREDIENTS:

• 175 g butter*
• 84 g castor sugar
• 210 g flour
• 50 g cornflour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 60 g Ooh La La French Nougat

*for a dairy-free alternative, simply swap the butter with margarine and they turn out just the same!

METHOD

1. Cream the butter* and castor sugar together until pale and light.
2. Sift the flour, cornflour and salt together to remove lumps, and mix into the creamed butter and sugar at a medium speed until a ragged dough starts to come together.
3. Add in the small chunks of nougat into the dough and lightly mix to combine.
   
   Tip: freeze the nougat before baking. Remove it from the freezer, place in a ziplock bag and smash it with a mallet to easily crumble it into little pieces. just make sure not to crush it into a fine powder.
   
   
4. With your hands, form the dough into a rough ball and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out until it is roughly 1/2 cm thick.
   
   Note: if the dough is too soft, you can wrap it in cling wrap and put it into the fridge for 5-10 minutes to firm it up so it's easier to roll. Just be careful not to leave it in the fridge for too long, because if the dough is too cold, it will crack when you try to roll it.
    
   
5. Once the dough is rolled out, use a circular cookie cutter to stamp out the biscuits and lay them on a prepared baking tray. Bring together any scraps, re-roll and stamp out more cookies, until all the dough has been used. Try not to overwork the dough by kneading it. Just press it gently together each time before rolling.
   
   
6. Refrigerate the biscuits for at least 30 minutes before baking them. This will help the butter re-solidify and give the biscuits the best chance at retaining their shape while in the oven.
   
   
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C while the biscuits are in the fridge. Bake for 10-12 mins or until just golden around the edges. Cool on the tray for ten minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.