Cargo 'Colourworks' heart cookie cutters - Lemon Shortbread biscuits, my first baking post!!!

Cargo Colourworks heart cookie cutters, £4

I was really lucky to be asked to review these heart shaped cookie cutters from Cargo recently and decided it would be a very good opportunity to do my first baking post. Firstly, the cutters are part of Cargo's Colourworks baking collection. The set consists of five brightly coloured shaped cutters varying in sizes 9cm to 5cm in this handy container, ideal for storage. They are dishwasher safe, guaranteed for 5 years and have no sharp dangerous edges, so ideal for children to use. There are four other shape options available in the range including flowers and stars, check out the full collection here.

Once I received the cutters I started a search in my cookbook collection and found the perfect recipe for shortbread biscuits in my always useful 'Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course'. 

Essential baking equipment including scales, rolling pin, mixing bowl & spoon 

Ingredients

Lemon shortbread biscuits

4oz/110g butter of margarine, at room temperature

2oz/50g caster sugar

Lemon essence

6oz/175g plain flour, sifted

extra caster sugar for dusting

Pre-heat oven at 150C/300F or gas mark 2

1. Weigh out the required ingredients.

2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar, then add a few drops of lemon essence and mix in thoroughly.

3. Sift the plain flour into the mixture and stir with a wooden or plastic spoon finally bringing it all together with your hands, (see below).

4. Transfer onto a board or clean worktop that's been lightly dusted with caster sugar, you can also dust the rolling pin if required to prevent sticking.

5. Lightly roll to a 3mm thickness.

6. Now the fun bit! Use the heart shape cutters to cut your biscuits, I varied the cookies by using different sized cutters.

7. Arrange the cookies on a lightly greased baking tray then place on a highish shelf in your oven for 30 mins.

8. When baked, take out oven, dust with caster sugar and allow to cool on a wire rack.

9. When completely cool, store in an airtight container to keep them crisp and crunchy.

These heart shape cutters can be used for so many things including Christmas and Valentine's biscuits that I'm sure kids would love to bake and decorate. You could also create a lovely strawberry shortbread dessert with double cream and strawberries layered on top of a pretty heart shaped shortbread.

I also thought it would be a great idea to make my mum some of these cookies as a Mother's Day treat, adding some really pretty decorations (see below). The larger cutter could be used to create some heart shaped toast for your Mum's Mother's Day breakfast too! 

An ideal Mother's Day gift made with love!

I would love your comments on my first baking post, how useful did you find the pictures and instructions?

Deborah

xxx