One of the easiest recipes in the world: simply mix butter, sugar and flour for traditional melt-in-your-mouth shortbread. For a bit of green fun, we have added matcha powder and pistachios, which give these cookies their very distinctive flavour.
Finely chop the pistachios. Cream butter with icing sugar until light and fluffy. Sift flours, salt and matcha powder over the butter and sugar mix, then add chopped pistachios. Cut with a knife until the ingredients just come together.
Press into the prepared baking tin and smoothen the surface with a small rolling pin or glass. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan forced). Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven. Cut into 16 even wedges. Insert a small, oven proof, round cookie cutter into the middle and leave in place. Prick each wedge a few times, then place it back into the oven and bake for another 15 minutes until the shortbread is cooked through but not browned. Cool on a wire rack.
Once the shortbread has cooled to room temperature, melt the chocolate. Dip the skinny end of the shortbread into the chocolate and sprinkle with matcha powder to decorate. Cool in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
Tip: Work quickly. An overworked dough will cause the shortbread to be chewy and tough instead of light and tender.