Macadamia Shortbread Biscuits

Name: Macadamia Shortbread Biscuits
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 150 g raw macadamia nuts; 225 g Unsalted butter; 75 g pure icing sugar; 50 g caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste; 250 g Plain flour; 50 g rice flour; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt

Melt-in-the-mouth Scottish-style shortbread biscuits loaded with roasted native Queensland macadamias and dusted with fine caster sugar.

🇦🇺Australia· Queensland

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 16
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

150 g raw macadamia nuts — unsalted
225 g Unsalted butter — softened at room temperature
75 g pure icing sugar — sifted
50 g caster sugar — plus 1 tbsp extra for dusting
1 tsp vanilla bean paste — or pure vanilla extract
250 g Plain flour — sifted
50 g rice flour — sifted, provides a crumbly texture
½ tsp Fine sea salt — to balance richness

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Baking paper
•Electric mixer
•Wire cooling rack
•Fork

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 15 g
carbs: 18 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 2 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2
Spread the macadamias on a tray and roast for 8 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
3
Cool the nuts completely, then chop them finely into coarse crumbs.
4
Beat the softened butter, icing sugar, caster sugar, and vanilla paste until pale and creamy.
5
Sift the plain flour, rice flour, and salt into the butter mixture.
6
Add the chopped macadamias and mix on low speed until a soft dough comes together.
7
Press the dough into a 1 cm thick rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
8
Cut into fingers or rounds and transfer onto the lined baking trays.
9
Prick each biscuit lightly with a fork and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
10
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until pale golden at the edges.
11
Dust immediately with the extra caster sugar and cool completely on a wire rack.

Chef's tips

Always cool the roasted macadamias before folding them into the butter mixture to avoid melting the dough. Chilling the cut biscuits before baking prevents spreading and keeps their crisp shape.

Ingredient substitutions

rice flour → cornflour (maize starch) in equal measure for a delicate crumb
pure icing sugar → caster sugar processed in a blender until powdery

Storage

Store in an airtight biscuit tin at cool room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

Warm in a 140°C oven for 4 minutes if you wish to restore fresh-baked crispness.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Over-browning the biscuits; shortbread should stay pale and delicate across the top.
•Overworking the dough, which develops gluten and results in tough, dense biscuits.
•Skipping the refrigeration step, causing the butter to melt too quickly in the oven.