Macadamia Shortbread

Before European settlement, macadamia nuts grew on the wet slopes of the rainforests in eastern Australia. Indigenous peoples feasted on these native nuts, which were considered a delicacy. The nuts have a high oil content and so they added an important energy source to the diet of Indigenous people. The nuts were collected in dilly bags and then eaten raw or roasted in the coals. The bush flavours that can be added to the shortbread recipe have distinctive tastes. Lemon myrtle has a citrus lemony flavour, aniseed myrtle has a sweet liquorice flavour and wattleseed has a chocolate, hazelnut and coffee flavour.

Ingredients50 g raw, unsalted macadamia nuts1 C plain flour¼ C rice flour½ C caster sugar125 g butter, softened1 t vanilla essence½ t bush flavouring (lemon myrtle/ aniseed myrtle/wattleseed)

Method1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.2. Chop the macadamia nuts roughly. Line a baking tray with baking paper

and bake in the preheated oven for 3-4 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Remove from oven.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.4. Sift the flours together. 5. Cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla essence. 6. Add the toasted chopped macadamia nuts and half the sifted flours until

well combined. 7. Add the remaining flours and bush flavouring to form a stiff dough.8. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured bench and knead gently until

smooth.9. Roll out to a thickness of 1cm. Trim the edges and cut into fingers

approximately 2.5cm by 8cm in size.10.Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 15-18 minutes, or until

just beginning to brown.11. Cool on the oven tray.