Delia Smith`s Home-Made Scottish Butter Shortbread Recipe

This is Delia Smith's recipe for shortbread aptly titled Home-made Scottish Butter Shortbread. According to her, "This is the real thing - it can't be made in a factory. Using the fine semolina gives the shortbread a wonderful crunchy texture, and the flavour is extremely buttery." While it would be best to use golden caster sugar I would suggest you could conventional caster sugar if it cannot be found.

You will also need an 8 in (20 cm) diameter fluted flan tin, 11/4 in (3 cm) deep with a loose base.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 2, 300F (150C).

First of all, beat the butter in a bowl with a wooden spoon to soften it, then beat in the sugar, followed by the sifted flour and semolina. Work the ingredients together with the spoon, pressing them to the side of the bowl, then finish off with your hands until you have a smooth mixture that doesn't leave any bits in the bowl.

Next transfer the dough to a flat, lightly floured surface, and roll it out lightly to a round (giving it quarter turns as you roll) about the same diameter as the tin, then transfer the round to the tin. Now lightly press the mixture evenly into the tin right up to the fluted edges (to make sure that it is even you can give it a final roll with a small glass tumbler).

Finally, you must prick the shortbread all over with a fork - or it will rise up in the centre while it's baking.

Bake the shortbread for 60-70 minutes on the centre shelf of the oven - it should have turned pale gold and feel firm in the centre. Then remove it from the oven and, using a palette knife, mark out the surface into 12 wedges. Leave it to cool in the tin, then, when it's cold, cut it into wedges. Dredge with the golden caster sugar and store in an airtight polythene box or tin.