• 1 1/2 cups (180g) plain flour

• 1/2 cup (77g) white rice flour

• 1/2 cup (100g) white granulated sugar

• 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into about 16 pieces

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

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 Method

• Preheat oven to 180C/160C (regular/fan forced), with rack in centre of the oven. Line an 20cm square metal baking pan with baking paper, leaving an inch or so overhanging the sides to use as handles to remove the cookies later. Set aside.

• In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the plain flour, rice flour and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and mix on low speed for several minutes, until the butter is broken down into small, even-sized pieces. Mixture will usually be loose and sandy, but if you grab a bit of it and squeeze it, it should form a clump. (If your butter had more moisture, the mixture could be more moist. As long as it isn't sticky, it's fine).

• Dump mixture into your prepared baking pan. Using a kitchen spatula (or your fingers), press mixture firmly into the pan. Try to get the top as even as you can.

• Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until set, but not with any browning around the edges at all. (If you dough was more moist, it may need a few more minutes in the oven, maybe 40 minutes). Remove from oven (*Leave oven on!) and let stand for ONLY 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut (slowly and carefully), into 16 pieces (3cm wide x 10cm long). 

• Grab a baking sheet. Very carefully, using the baking paper overhang as handles, lift the shortbreads out of the pan on the baking paper. Set onto baking sheet with parchment paper still underneath. Using a fork, gently slide the shortbread sticks apart, so there is a bit of space between each piece. *If a shortbread breaks, you can often press it back together at this point and it will mend itself during the final bit of cooking.

• Return to the 180C oven, BUT IMMEDIATELY TURN THE OVEN OFF! Let sit on the baking sheet in the still-warm oven for 30-45 minutes. (30 minutes for a lightly crisp, light coloured shortbread or up to 45 minutes for a crispier, lightly golden shortbread). Remove from oven and transfer shortbreads to a cooling rack to cool completely.

• Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Shortbread can be eaten right away, but they develop even more flavour as they sit, so don't hesitate to make ahead