Hazelnut Shortbread Trees

Submitted by dizzydi

"I made this recipe from a book I was given for my birthday. They just looked so perfect for something special for Christmas and I will give them as gifts. They are a delicious shortbread though they take a little time but I feel are worth it for something special."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 13
• Yields: 12 trees
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• shortbread stars

• 250 g butter
• 2 teaspoons finely ground orange rind
• 1⁄2 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons rice flour
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1⁄4 cup hazelnut meal
• silver cachous
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar, extra

• brandy butter cream

• 60 g butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
• 3⁄4 cup icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons brandy

directions

1. Beat butter, rind and sifted icing sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in sifted flours and spice, add hazelnut meal in 2 batches.
2. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth. roll dough between sheets of baking paper until 5mm thick, refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 180/160°C fan-forced. Grease oven trays or line with baking paper.
4. Using 3cm, 5cm, 7cm star shaped cutters cut 24 of each size star from dough. Place small stars about 1cm apart on an oven tray, place remaining stars about 2 cm apart on oven tray.
5. Bake small stars about 10 minutes, Bake larger stars about 15 minutes, Stand 5 minutes, cool on wire racks.
6. Meanwhile, make brandy butter cream.
7. Sandwich two of each size cookie with butter cream. Assemble trees by joining three different size stars together with butter cream.
8. Decorate trees by joinin cachous to stars with a tiny dot of butter cream, Dust trees with extra icing sugar.
9. Brandy Butter Cream.
10. Beat butter, rind , sifted icing sugar and brandy in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.