RASBERRY AND WALNUT SHORTBREAD

Preparation Method :

• Draw three 20.5 (8 inch) circles on non-stick baking parchment. Place the parchment circles on baking sheets.
• Grind the walnuts finely in a blender or food processor.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy, then beat in the walnuts and flour.
• Divide the dough into 3 shortbread portions.
• Put a portion of shortbread dough in the centre of each parchment circle and press out with the heel of your hand until the dough is the same size as the circle.
• Cut one of the circles into eight triangles with a sharp knife and ease them slightly apart.
• Refrigerate the circles and triangles for 30 minutes. Bake at 190°C (375°F) mark 5 fori 5-20 minutes, swapping over the sheets to ensure the pastries brown evenly.
• Leave to cool and harden for 10 minutes on the paper, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, reserve one-third of the raspberries for decoration. Put the rest in a bowl with the icing sugar and liqueur, if using.
• Crush the raspberries with a fork, then leave them to macerate while the pastry rounds are cooling.
• Assemble the shortbread just before serving, to ensure that the pastry remains crisp.
• Whip the cream until thick, then fold in the crushed raspberries and juice.
• Stand one round of pastry on a flat serving plate and spread with half of the cream mixture.
• Top with the remaining round of pastry, then the remaining cream mixture.
• Arrange the triangles of pastry on top of the cream, wedging them in at an angle.
• Scatter the reserved whole raspberries in between. Serve the shortbread as soon as possible.