Fruit shortbread biscuits are a variation on traditional shortbread with the addition of dried fruit and mixed spices. They are easy to make and are suitable for making in bulk and freezing so that you have a good supply for the weeks ahead.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl using a wooden spoon.
Add the flour, cornflour, raisins and mixed spice and mix well.
Form the dough into a ball with your hands, place in a bowl, cover and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Lightly flour a pastry board, place the dough on the board and roll out to a thickness of about half a centimetre.
Use a cutter to form biscuit shapes and place on a non stick sheet on a baking tray leaving a space between each biscuit.
To bake
Bake in batches in the centre of a preheated oven at 150°C, 300°F, gas mark 2 until the edges start to turn golden.
Leave the cooked shortbread on the tray for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Note
The baking time noted is for baking in a single batch.
To store
You can store your fruit shortbread biscuits in an airtight tin for up to a couple of days.
If you wish to keep them any longer it is better to freeze them.
Tips
Remove the butter from the fridge before starting to make the shortbread biscuits so that the butter softens, otherwise it will be very difficult to cream together with the sugar. Alternatively, you could soften (but not melt) the butter using the appropriate setting on a microwave.
Leave space between the biscuits when baking to allow room for expansion.