Move over, mince pies! Well, maybe not… after all, absolutely nothing beats that melty, gooey, fruity goodness of a superlative Christmas mince pie. Sometimes though, you don’t have the time to make these; they’re really only super-good if you make everything from scratch, including the pastry. And, in our opinion, if you use proper beef suet and that can be hard to come by these days. (A really good butcher will sell you some if you ask in advance – suet is basically the hard fat from around the kidneys and you need to grate it to use it in baking). All this can seem a bit overwhelming at this busiest time of the year, so if you’re in the market for an easier treat, you might want to know about these cookies. They look a million bucks, but they’re relatively fast to make. They’re impressive enough to give as a hostess gift, or to serve in place of dessert along with coffee and a good glug of Baileys. (Yes, we just said ‘Baileys’, not that you need our permission). If you’re wondering why the rolled cookies chill for so long, this is to let the dough hydrate, which gives it a better texture, helps develop the flavour, and prevents the dough spreading during baking. You want these suckers to hold that lovely pert shape in the oven, so don’t skip this step.

MAKES 16

200g unsalted butter, softened
60g (½ cup) icing sugar, plus extra, for dusting
1½ tsp vanilla extract
260g (1¾ cups) plain flour, sifted, plus extra, for dusting
30g (⅓ cup) very finely ground coffee beans

Filling
225g cream cheese
85g (⅔ cup) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp vanilla extract

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, beat the butter, icing sugar, and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Using a large metal spoon, stir in the flour and ground coffee, using your hands if necessary to form a firm dough.

Dust a clean surface lightly with flour, then turn out the dough and pat into a rough rectangle. Roll the dough out to about 5mm thick, then cut into 5cm rounds with a pastry cutter, placing the rounds on a lined tray as you go. Re-roll the scraps and cut more rounds; repeat this process until the dough is all used. You need about 32 rounds.

Place the trays in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Heat the oven to 175°C, then bake the shortbread for 12-13 minutes, swapping them halfway through so they bake evenly. Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling, using electric beaters, beat all the ingredients until well combined, smooth, and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle, then pipe half the biscuits with enough filling to cover about two-thirds of the surface. Place another shortbread on top of each, pressing down lightly to secure and to spread the filling to the edge. Dust the tops with icing sugar, then serve. Filled shortbread are best served on the same day; unfilled shortbread will keep in an airtight container, stored in a cool, dark place, for up to 5 days.