Spanish-Style Shortbread (Sevillanas)

Ingredients

• 250 g flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 100 g sugar
• 1 egg
• 180 g cold butter
• 2 tsp grated untreated lemon zest
• yellow food coloring
• yellow and red food coloring
• 2 tsp grated untreated orange zest
• 2 tsp grated untreated lime zest
• green food coloring
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• silver pearl (ready-made)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Mix flour, baking powder, and sugar on a work surface. Create a well in the center and add the egg. Place cold butter pieces around the edge and quickly knead with both hands into a smooth dough.

2. 2.

   Divide the dough into three equal parts.

3. 3.

   Knead one third of the dough with lemon zest and a few drops of yellow food coloring.

4. 4.

   Knead another third with orange zest, 3 drops yellow and 5 drops red food coloring.

5. 5.

   Knead the last third with lime zest and 5 drops green food coloring.

6. 6.

   Shape each dough into balls, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

7. 7.

   Preheat oven to 170 °C fan. Line baking trays with parchment paper.

8. 8.

   Roll each dough between two sheets of cling film to about 3 mm thickness, cut out circles with a wavy edge (≈5 cm diameter), place on the prepared tray.

9. 9.

   Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes until pale.

10. 10.

    Remove, lift with parchment, and let cool.

11. 11.

    For decoration (optional sugar glaze lines or full glaze):

12. 12.

    To create glaze lines, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice into a thick glaze, fill a small freezer bag, cut a tiny corner, and spray desired lines or designs.

13. 13.

    For the full glaze, whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice into a fairly liquid glaze, brush over cookies, top with silver pearls, and let dry.