JASMINE & APRICOT SHORTBREAD

Recipes Mariah Grace / Photography Amber-Jayne Bain

	225g unsalted butter, softened
	50g caster sugar
	70g icing sugar
	1 egg yolk (save the egg white for royal icing)
	½ teaspoon jasmine extract
	330g plain flour
	¼ teaspoon fine salt
	1 teaspoon ground jasmine green tea leaves
	50g dried apricots, finely chopped
	TO DECORATE
	1 egg white
	250g icing sugar
	liquid/gel colouring

1.	In a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, caster sugar and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
2.	Add the egg yolk and jasmine extract and mix well.
3.	Add the flour, salt, ground jasmine tea leaves and chopped apricots; mix only until incorporated and a dough forms.
4.	Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper, to a thickness of 6mm.
5.	Freeze for 30 minutes or overnight.
6.	Heat the oven to 160°C.
7.	Using a cookie cutter of your choice, cut out cookies and place onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
8.	Bake for about 10-12 minutes until lightly golden, then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack
9.	To decorate, beat together the egg white and icing sugar in a mixer, until thick and smooth.
10.	Separate into smaller bowls (one bowl for each colour) and colour slightly with food colouring.
11.	Pour into piping bags (or plastic bags with a small corner cut off the bag).
12.	First pipe a border around the edge of the cookies then fill the inside with icing.
13.	Gently tap the base of the cookies with your palm to flatten the icing and use a toothpick to pop any bubbles that may surface.