Betty is one of my husband’s grandfather Theo’s sisters. If you know my recipe ‘Lorna’s Scones’, Betty is Lorna’s older sister. I heard she used to own a pub in Tasmania and she was a great cook. This is a beautiful treat that Betty left the recipe for the next generation.


Cake Tin

20cm Square Cake Tin

Ingredients

110g Butter *softened, do not melt it
1/2 cup Caster Sugar *I reduced to 1/3 cup and the cake was still very sweet
1 pinch Salt
1 Egg
1 cup Self-Raising Flour *OR Plain Flour & 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
*Note: 1 cup Flour makes the dough very soft. You can add extra 2-3 tablespoons, so that the dough would be easier to roll out, but do not add too much.
1 cup Raisins OR Sultanas *chopped
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
4 tablespoons Strawberry Jam, Raspberry Jam OR Jam of your choice *Today I used Plum Jam

Method
  1. Mix softened Butter, Sugar and Salt until smooth, add Egg and mix well. Add Flour and mix to form a soft dough. *Note: The dough is probably too soft to roll out. Cool in the fridge to firm up.
  2. Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper. Preheat oven to 160℃.
  3. Roll out 1/2 of dough on a floured surface, and line the tin. Patch up any gaps and tears, and press down evenly. Thinly spread Jam, then scatter chopped Raisins (OR Sultanas) and Walnuts.

  4. Roll out the other 1/2 of dough into a square and place it on top to cover. Make holes in a pattern using a skewer.
  5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown on top. Cool in the tin as this shortcake is very fragile. Serve slices with whipped Cream OR Ice Cream.