Preparation time: 35 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Makes 8 trees

250g unsalted butter,
softened
1 cup pure icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
½ cup cornflour
80g packet pistachios,
finely chopped
Extra flour, for kneading
Extra 125g unsalted
butter, softened
Extra ½ cup pure icing
sugar, sifted
Finely grated rind
of 1 lime and
2 tsp juice
Extra pure icing sugar,
sifted, for dusting
Edible silver dust

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Line 3 baking trays with baking paper. Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and creamy. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flours and pistachio.

2 Gently knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Divide the dough in half and pat into 2 discs. Put 1 disc between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll out until 5mm thick. Repeat for other disc. Use small, medium and large star-shaped cutters to cut out 16 large, 16 medium and 16 small shapes. Put the stars on the prepared trays, one size per tray, and bake for 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are lightly golden. Stand trays on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

3 Put extra butter, extra icing sugar, lime rind and juice in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Put 1 tablespoon of butter mixture in a small bowl and reserve.

4 Spread a little of the butter cream on 1 side of 8 small, 8 medium and 8 large star biscuits. Top each star with a matching biscuit and press gently together. To make the trees, put a large joined biscuit on a flat surface, put ½ teaspoon of the reserved butter cream onto the centre of the star, top with a medium-size joined biscuit. Put a little of the butter cream on the top, then add a small joined biscuit. Dust each shortbread tree with icing sugar and a little edible silver dust. 

Photos by Chris L Jones