“Do I ever smother you?” I asked Mr NQN one evening. Mind you I asked him this while I was about 30 cms away his face, staring at him intently and perched in between his view and the television.
“Sometimes” he said “But I know that you’re starved for attention.”
“Oh goody” I said “So you understand.”
It’s true, I spend all day at home, sometimes venturing out for lunch or to research a story. Usually when he comes home I have a host of very important things to show him. There’s the important list of what they discussed on The View that day as well as any funny posts from my favourite blogs. Or there is my injury sustained from practising dancing like a tap dancing chicken (really quite hard to co-ordinate and should not be attempted in high heels). I should qualify that by saying that it is a long story- we were chuckling at his mum talking about flamenco aka flamingo dancing and well you know how silly conversations progress…
Sometimes as soon as he gets through the door I want to ask his opinion on something that I have cooked. This particular evening, as he stepped through the door I grabbed his hand and took him into the kitchen and ask his opinion on a recipe. It was a brown sugar shortbread that I was making for my mother (S.W.L.B. aka she who loves butter) for Mother’s Day. I wasn’t sure if I should even put the shortbread up. It wasn’t anywhere near as picturesque as I wanted. In fact I thought it looked kind of plain. He convinced me otherwise and told me that it had a home made country style look.
I can’t say that it was the easiest shortbread to work with but I liked the idea of using caramelly brown sugar in the mixture rather than plain white sugar. If I know anything about my mother it’s that she adores shortbread and that it is her favoured vehicle for butter consumption. This past Christmas she received $50 worth of shortbread and because her Kris Kringle was Mr NQN’s little brother The Assman, it was all bought from the supermarket. You can only imagine how many packets there were of the stuff. Still, come May the supply was depleted and she was low on vital shortbread reserves.
So I baked and wrapped and gave it to her. That was after having a sample of it myself-the cook’s treat from cutting out the centre (a hint from the new Donna Hay cookbook). It was crisp and buttery and it had a deeper flavour with the brown sugar. She did still mention the 24 hour labour story (now upgraded to 25 hours) but it was with a little less drama and cranky side eye.
So tell me Dear Reader, what did you buy or make your mother for Mother’s Day this year?
Brown Sugar Shortbread
Adapted from Bill’s Basics by Bill Granger, published by Harper Collins
- 250g butter, softened plus a tiny amount of butter for very lightly greasing the tin
- 120g (3/4 cup) soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup rice flour
- 2 tablespoons demerara or raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
You will also need a 24cm tart tin with a removable base, very lightly buttered
Buyer’s tip: You can buy rice flour at the supermarket, usually in the Asian goods section
1. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer until pale. Fold in the flours until well combined.
2. Press the dough into the greased tart tin and smooth over the top. I used a sheet of greaseproof paper and a scraper to smooth it out. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 160C/320F. Now the instructions said to score the edges which I did but the shortbread didn’t keep the lines and they disappeared but by all means feel free to try it. Cut out the centre with a metal round cutter and then place the cutter back into the centre. Sprinkle the demerara or raw sugar on top and bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly golden.
The fork marks disappeared for me once baked so I just poked away again
To give it a nice pattern. But that’s optional.
4. As soon as it is removed from the oven score the shortbread (that is draw lines to make it easy to break apart into pieces). I tried to make some pretty patterns but I don’t think that this really worked. Remove from tin only once it is completely cold (it is very delicate when it is just out of the oven).
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78 Comments | Add your own
This looks so good all wrapped up with the ribbon. As well as the brown sugar, like the idea of vanilla in the shortbread. Bet this was truly appreciated. I made my mother a chocolate cake – no surprises there!
Mmmhhh, that is something I love! Your shortbread looks perfectly crumbly.
Cheers,
Rosa
““Do I ever smother you?” I asked Mr NQN one evening. Mind you I asked him this while I was about 30 cms away his face, staring at him intently and perched in between his view and the television.” lol – you crack me up
Love this! Great mothers day gift. We made brown sugar bundt today – must be the season for brown sugar.
Wow I’m sure your Mum thoroughly enjoyed this. Definitely a great idea for butter lovers and well worth the effort. Love the idea of cutting out a centre piece especially since you get to eat some before giving the rest away.
Lorraine, how interesting adding rice flour to this shortbread…they sure look lighter than the classic ones. Beautiful as usual…I made chiffon cake for my mom
Hope you have a wonderful week!
Beautiful! Any mother would be proud to receive that!
It looks delish – very country indeed. I feel like a cuppa just looking at it…
My mom isn’t with us anymore, but I spent the day with my son and his wife and little boy and they made me lunch, gave me flowers and a really cool rack to hang my hats on that looks like a horse!
it was really quite wonderful…
Nice idea, thanks Lorraine. I’ll be giving this a try soon.
I’m with your mum…I think of Christmas as shortbread season (yay for the post-Christmas sales!)
Looks yummo!
I organised flowers to be delivered to my wonderful 85 year old mother in Melbourne through a particular website (no names sorry) on Mothers Day. Unfortunately, they did not arrive, and when I rang them yesterday and told them, I was told they would be delivered by 6pm last night! By 7.30pm my mother rang me to say they had not turned up, so another phonecall was made at 7.45pm to the company who assures me they will be delivered today, supposedly a spectacular bunch to compensate for the non delivery on Sunday !
Fingers crossed they eventually get there today – suffice to say, I am horribly disappointed and sad for my mum !
LOVE shortbread! With Stud being scottish, its a staple in our home.
My mum wanted a Steam Mop this year lol so I finally succumbed and bought it for her but made her a slow cooked butter chicken for dinner. Thankfully she liked it
Unfortunately this year I could only send flowers which were actually really appreciated.
One word – yum! I will definitely be making this recipe!! We gave cash to my MIL as she is planning a trip to the UK next year. My mother got the gift of a phone call
which is all she wants!
It sounds delicious but what did you use to make the hole in the centre…
My mother has passed away and I have three sons all living overseas so I was just pleased to receive emails and calls for them this Easter. I do like the home made gifts and not spend a fortune a la department store!
I think I just found my favorite cookie! I love shortbread and I love anything with brown sugar.
Nice of you to have baked this for your mum.
Perhaps SWLB could also mean She Who Laboured Bigtime ??
I’ll definately try this, I love shortbread! though it doesn’t always love me…I’ve only made it well once, and I haven’t tried for years (since I stuffed it up the last time
) but I’d be willing to give this a go! I didn’t get my mum anything for Mother’s Day…yet, but I will! I take after her in that I’m quite bad at getting presents and things ready on time, so she understands 
I made mum a pavlova- and considering I’d been to a wedding two days earlier and was STILL hungover like an old dog, I think I did very well whipping those egg whites into submission!
YUM! my mum too is a shortbread fiend!
I might make her some and use Rapadura sugar as it’s meant to be a lot better for you than refined sugars…so really then it would be healthy shortbread!
yum! I’ve never made shortbread, think I’ll have to fix that soon. Makes a gorgeous gift!
x
Lorrain, Love your stories, Love Mr. MQN, Love your adventures…AND I love this brown sugar short bread. I shall make this and tell you if it turns out
XX Kisses
I’m a fan of anything with brown sugar, this looks awesome!
Lorraine, this looks delicious – love brown sugar and love shortbread – definitely one to try. This Mothers Day made mum breakfast/brunch (annual tradition) – Jim Lahey no knead bread, sauteed mushrooms, slow roasted tomatoes, oven roasted diced potatoes w/ herbs de provence, scrambled eggs, fluffy pancakes, sausage patties (made w/ Italian sausage filling), bacon and to finish off upside down caramel apple muffins w/ caramel sauce. Then gift wrapped some homemade quince paste and walnut/madadamia/prune/fig paste that I had made during the week. Pretty over the top but hey I love my mum and I love to cook!! And my dad, son and hubby devoured it all heartily – love my fam xo
What a gorgeous gift, you presented it so nicely!
I’ve only made shortbread once and it was a bit of a fail. Shortbread is Paul’s favourite though so I should try again sometime…
I love shortbread! It has never occurred to me to take the centre out of the middle or to use town sugar.
I think your photos look delicious, can’t believe you were thinking of not posting this!
I must be a little needy too, I do all the same things with my husband
he is very understanding also.
I wonder if it’s an Asian mother thing? My mum adores shortbread, but very specifically shortbread cookies, not stick to the roof of your mouth stuff. I think I’d have trouble not eating your brown sugar shortbread batter before it was baked!
That shortbread looks delicious. Definitely will have to try some with brown sugar in the future.
Your husband is so perfect for you. He gets you the way mine gets me. We are a force but in a good way. Are you referring to the American “View”? I admit t falling prey to it nearly daily.Shortbread is something that is hard to pass up. I’m not a sweet’s eater in a big way, but with shortbread, it’s “just one more bite” please.
A very dear doctor girlfriend of mine is just about to publish, at the age of a very sexy 71, her first volume of short stories with a medical theme! (and she is bl…y’ good!)
Reading your intro this am/pm, I am thinking you should do the same, at a very much earlier age, and on a foodie theme? And I do not mean the book you have coming out next year!! You DO have the imagination, dear gal!!
Oh, did realize too late what dear Mr NQN had missing on THAT photo – what about the cane and the monocle?
I think your shortbread looks beautiful! Love the idea of using brown sugar:) My mom has been gone for 25 years, so it’s all about my kids now:) Got the young mommies some Lisa Leonard jewelry:)
its so cute! i would never have thought there was rice flour in it.
I’m sure that the brown sugar makes this short bread tastes really different from the standard ones!
You know how I love the simple recipes that I can get my mind around
And now I want two pieces of these smooshed together with peanut butter, please! That’s the kind of attention I’m after 
I agree with Celia, I think I could happily lick that up with a spoon as is. I like the idea of using a darker sugar…I might have to give this one a crack, (and hide the spoons.)
I usually make this at Christmas, isn’t it delightful.
Your husband is a wise man – it looks lovely! I love the cutter idea. I got my Mother Dearest a mother load of licorice. It’s her favourite sweet, although I’ve always been a little convinced it’s purely a favourite because nobody else fancies it much. My mum ain’t much of a sharer
By the way, I totally get the suffocating your hubs when he gets home. I have become a stay at home mum (my baby girl is almost 6 months old) and I just swamp my man in the evening. It’s made all the worse as we are relatively new to the area and I literally have no friends! #sniff# I had banked on making a bunch when the New Mother’s Mothers Group started but I was somehow left off the notify list and it started and finished without me.
#Sniff# again.
So my lovely husband understands my eagerness and he’s mostly in to the non stop jabbering (he knows all about you – especially all about your trip to Beechworth and Milawa as we live in north east Vic) and the excess of affection but sometimes he escapes me and spends a little more time talking to the chooks than is quite nescessary.
Anyway, love your work and thank the lordy for the internet and it’s ability to stave off social isolation insuced insanity, I say!
Wow. That was a long comment. Erm, sorry about that.
#blush#
Of course you had to post this shortbread, it looks amazing!
Hah. I often accost my husband when he steps through the door to tell him about some interesting email or phone call I got that day. He’s gotten used to it by now, thank goodness. ‘Course, if I accosted him with shortbread, he’d be even more receptive.
I love the home-made look of your shortbread. Looks so much more appealing than the supermarket stuff.
I love shortbread. I wish somebody had made that for me.
Your post cracked me up. I’m so similar when hubby gets home from work. I have all this chatter ready to get out. A big change from when I was out of the house full time.
On a shortbread baking binge myself. I love the flavour of these. Lucky mum.
Sounds delish and perfect with a cuppa. Your mother is so lucky to have received this.
For Mother’s day this yr, I took her out to lunch and dinner and gave her a red packet (with lots of cash in it) lol
I know what it’s like to have the house to yourself for days on end and it is very exciting when someone walks in the front door. Tasty looking shortbread!
Funny you thought it didn’t look nice, when I saw that first picture my first thought was how pretty and delicious that parcel looked.
SWLB = She Who Loves Butter hahah you crack me up
Yum! I would be such a proud mother if my non-existent future daughter gave that to me!… I just got my mum to take herself out to dinner (different countries), plus the last time I was home, I bought her loads of stuff
I got my mum tickets to the ballet – we’ll have lunch first somewhere in the city (it’s a matinee)
we used to do that all the time when I was younger. I love this recipe, thanks!
Heidi xo
p.s. I also apparently like a lot of attention
Brown sugar shortbread is my favorite sort, so I’m definitely trying your recipe out.
As for Mother’s Day, I got my mother a new purse and an iPad (for her games, actually!). Since her birthday’s next week, I’ve put off baking anything till then. (And there’ll be a chocolate-almond layer cake on her breakfast plate on Tuesday!)
Lovely shortbread, I like the softer sweetness of browns sugar to the sharpness of castor sugar so this will be delicious.
For mother’s day I got my mum a sausage/jerky maker with various rude looking attatchments, some chorizo sausage cure and the meat to make it with. Hope I get to try some!
We made this for Stephen’s grandmother for Christmas! We made them as individual biscuits though. I like the addition of the rice flour too…
It looks pretty – E is a shortbread lover and would love this one – I think it would be quite hard at times to be a full time food blogger – and wonderful at other times – glad you have lots of support in Mr NQN
Ben feels the same way!
Just last night me and hubby was talking about going on a trip to Scotland and the one thing that is top on our must do list is going to Aberlour on Spey, home of Walkers Shortbread and going to their bakehouse. I adore shortbread. Your shortbread does look very delish.
This looks like a lovely gift any day! The colour, the ribbon and empty centre makes it so unique. Im sure it tastes as great as it looks too
How stunning, I love that is uses brown sugar instead of white..how perfect for mom’s day!! My mom wanted a digital camera, so no baking..
sweetlife
Your mum is my kind of woman. Looks just gorgeous. A piece with a cup of tea and I’d be the happiest of campers. Think I’m going to have to make it up to my mum when I see her this weekend (first time in 9 months- we’re meeting in San Sebastian- nb, am just a little bit excited).
Shortbread is such a favorite of mine, this looks absolutely delicious. This and a cup of tea and i would just melt with happiness.
*kisses* HH
Hahahaha I am like that with Panu even if I’ve been at work all day! I just LOVE telling him all the important things from the day, because he would think they were equally significant, wouldn’t he? WOULDN’T HE? Of course he doesn’t. But I tell him anyway. Brown sugar anything FTW!
I, like your mother, am an avid shortbread fanatic. Only the purest, though ;]
Using brown sugar in shortbread really is a fanastic idea…I can just imagine the deep flavor! Love that pretty ribbon too — what a gorgeous presentation!
How thoughtful of you to make your mother proud. What a perfect gift and it’s done with love and perfection.
This looks great.
You have a very lucky mother. I’m with Mr NQN, it looks country chic!
I gave my mum a voucher for home-baked banana bread and another breakfast loaf of her choice.
I love shortbread, will have to try this one.
This year my mummy dearest got pearls
YUMMO
So sweet of you to baked for your mom. Love the cutting out the center for the cook idea! xoxo Mum
This shortbread must taste wonderful with brown sugar, a must try!
I love the fact that you got to try it, and it looks like it should be made that way
i didn’t get my mom a thing. that’s right, i said it.
no, i’m working on something big for an all-encompassing holiday extravaganza. good times.
lovely version of shortbread, lorraine–i love the rich flavor of brown sugar!
Lorraine , u have done a very pretty job with the pics ,first of all.
)))
Lovely pics and so in tune with mothers day.
I love ur mom always has shortbread around her, so wonderful a idea , i should too , and r rite , its a fantastic way to get that butter in.
Ur hubby sounds cute and ur life wonderful , love the”job” u have
And honestly buttery and crispy with a deep flavour makes for one exquisite shortbread!
have been waiting a long time to try cookies with a bit of rice flour in them , adds to the crunch rite?
I really need to make some shortbread. I love it so much but hardly ever eat it. I think home made would be much better than storebought too.
Woweee, brown sugar caramalising shortbread, geez luv, you’ve brought things to a whole new level, think I’ve gotta try this one.
I got my mom a slow cooker from MD., she’s been talking about getting one lots lately & well…. who doesn’t love popping on by for a slow cooked dinner. Ahemmm
“Cook’s treat from cutting out the centre (a hint from the new Donna Hay cookbook)” – absolute genius.
On another note, I’ve been wanting to try this recipe – you’ve now convinced me that it’s absolutely necessary!
What a great idea – I can’t believe I never thought of using brown sugar in shortbread recipes! Very affordable as well, which is a bonus
I wonder how it would be with a touch of lemond zest added…
Hehe, you sound like me. I talk and I talk and my boyfriend listens
Love the addition of brown sugar, that sounds good!
And um, I didn’t get anything for my mum… my excuse is I was at uni, madly revising for exams :S
I’m sure SWLB would have loved that. It looks delicious
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