Shortbread by Des Harris

DOUGH:

225 g flour
75 g caster sugar
150 g butter (medium soft)
1/8 tsp vanilla essence

GARNISH:

Cream
A few drops of vanilla
1/4 tsp sugar
Fresh berries

TIP: Butter must be medium soft. Too cold - butter doesn’t incorporate. Too warm - the mix will be very soft. Leave the butter out of the fridge for about an hour before you make the biscuits.

Preheat oven to 180°C using a CircoTherm or fan bake setting. Put baking paper onto two wire oven racks.

Combined all of the ingredients together in a kitchen machine with a stirring attachment, mix it slowly at first, then faster until it is combined.

Turn out and roll dough into a long sausage, about 35mm thick, wrap it in glad wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes (or you can freeze the dough at this point to use at a later date).

Cut dough into 8mm thick rounds and arrange on the wire racks.

Bake shortbread about 16 minutes, or until light golden. Stand on wire racks for 5 minutes.

TIP: Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries. Add a few drops of vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of sugar to the cream before whipping it to make it extra special.

Des Harris is widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s most prominent chefs. Originally from Wellington, Des spent his formative years leading the kitchen at Logan Brown under Chef Al Brown.

Des went on to be Clooney Restaurant’s Executive Chef for almost 9 years. Amongst many achievements, his career highlight is being awarded ‘Chef of the Year’ and leading the restaurant to a 3 Hat standard in the inaugural edition of the Good Food Guide in 2013.

In November 2016 Des consulted on one of the most successful openings of the year at Augustus Bistro in Auckland.

Des is now the executive chef at The Hunting Lodge Winery in Waimauku. Here he has found a new expression, through the synergy he shares with the wine maker and permaculturist.