Orange Shortbread Sandwiches

Delicious melt in the mouth orange flavoured shortbread filled with a tangy butter cream.   Preparation time: 35 mins plus chilling and cooling Baking time: 18-20 mins Ingredients | Makes 8 For the shortbread:

• 130g butter, softened
• 60g caster sugar
• Zest of 1½ oranges
• 20ml orange juice
• 160g plain flour, sifted

For the butter cream:

• Zest of ½ orange
• 1 tsp orange juice
• 75g butter, softened
• 150g icing sugar, sifted
• Icing or caster sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. For the shortbread, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the orange zest and juice and stir thoroughly. Mix in the flour to produce a smooth dough.
3. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 8mm between two large sheets of baking paper. Place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes until firm.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge, cut out 5½cm circles with a cutter then place on one of the baking trays. Gather up the trimmings, re-roll between sheets of baking paper, chill and cut out more circles until all the dough is used up. Place on the second baking tray.
5. To create the top half of your shortbread sandwiches, cut out the centres of 12 circles using a small star cutter. Remove the stars and leave the circles with stars cut out on the baking tray. Bake both trays of shortbread in the oven for 18-20 mins until lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly on the baking tray to firm before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the butter cream, beat the orange zest and juice into the softened butter. Add in the icing sugar and mix well. Place a teaspoonful of filling on each solid circle of shortbread. Lay the top half of the shortbread on top of the cream and press lightly to sandwich together. Dust with icing sugar or caster sugar.