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These biscuits can be made with a plain shortbread or a chocolate shortbread mixture, as desired.

Ingredients

• 5 oz plain flour

• 1 oz cornflour

  OR

• 5 ½ oz plain flour

• ½ oz cocoa powder

• 4 oz butter, cut into small pieces

• 2 oz caster sugar

• 2 tablespoons milk

• Currants and glace cherries for decoration

Method

1. Set oven to 325F or mark 3.

2. Sieve flour and cornflour OR flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl.

3. Add the butter and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

4. Stir in the sugar, add milk, and bind the mixture together by hand to form a ball of dough.

5. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

6. Cut out shapes with a bear-shaped pastry cutter and transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet.

7. Decorate with currants and pieces of glace cherry to make eyes nose etc.

8. Bake for 30 minutes until pale golden.

9. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Courtesy of the “Favourite Dorset Recipes” compiled by Amanda Persey and published by J. Salmon Ltd.