Pistachio and lemon shortbreads recipe - nuts

Method

• Blitz the pistachio nuts in a food processor roughly until they are broken down, but not too finely, as you want to retain crunch and texture.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the pistachios with the ground rice, flour, lemon rind, vanilla paste, icing sugar and salt, then work the butter into the mixture until a dough forms.
• Mix in just enough olive oil to help you form the dough into a solid ball, then roll the dough into a log about 45cm wide.
• Wrap it tightly in clingfilm, twisting the ends (like a sweet wrapper) to achieve maximum tightness, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 150C/fan130C/gas mark 2.
• Line a large baking sheet with nonstick baking paper.
• Once the oven is hot, remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 1cm thick discs.
• Lay these on to the paper-lined baking sheet, leaving a gap of 2cm between each disc.
• Sprinkle some caster sugar liberally over the tops of the discs, then bake for 20 minutes,or until the edges begin to turn slightly golden but the biscuits themselves remain virtually the same colour as they were prior to baking.
• Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before eating.