# Shortbread problems



## AlexC (Mar 11, 2018)

*Recipe*: 
250 g soft butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*Method:*
Butter & sugar creamed . Add flours and baking powder sifted. Mix thoroughly. All done in mixer. Turns fairly easily onto board as a single soft ball of dough, flattened to about 23cm diameter on lightly floured surface. Bake 150C for 40 minutes.

Looks and tastes ok but if you try to break along marked lines the shortbread just crumbles to fairly fine parts. Also has a tendency to break apart very easily and in the mouth it crumbles to a fine almost powder like consistency.

Suggestions would be very much appreciated.


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## Pat Pat (Sep 26, 2017)

The characteristics you described is not a problem; it is ideal for a shortbread.

What are you actually looking to get?

Taking out the rice flour and replacing it with more plain flour will give you a less sandy texture, if that's what you are after.


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## AlexC (Mar 11, 2018)

Pat Pat said:


> The characteristics you described is not a problem; it is ideal for a shortbread.
> 
> What are you actually looking to get?
> 
> Taking out the rice flour and replacing it with more plain flour will give you a less sandy texture, if that's what you are after.


Looking for a less 'sandy' texture. Something that in the mouth does not turn to a fine sandy texture that as it absorbs moisture from in the mouth it tends to slightly stick to the roof of one's mouth. Maybe leaving out the Rice flour will achieve this.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

That’s not a traditional recipe so you’ll get a non traditional result. The problems are the rice flour and the icing sugar. I assume the rice flour is an attempt to balance gluten in the AP to be more like pastry flour. The cornstarch in the icing sugar only exaggerates that effect. Use a traditional shortbread recipe to get a traditional result.


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## brianshaw (Dec 18, 2010)

Plus, depending on how thick your 23cm disk if dough is... you maybe overbaking them.


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