Honey Macadamia Nut Shortbread with Vanilla Mascarpone & Berries

INGREDIENTS

SHORTBREAD
50g Nuts About New Zealand Honey Macadamia nuts
175g chilled butter
225g flour
60g castor sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
1tsp vanilla extract

TO FINISH
1 or 2 vanilla beans
250g mascarpone
Berries such as strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
Macadamia nuts

DIRECTIONS

Chop Macadamia nuts up finely. Dice the butter, put in a mixing bowl and leave to soften a little. Stir in the flour, castor sugar and vanilla extract. Rub together with your fingertips and form mixture into a ball, adding the chopped macadamia nuts. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out shortbread dough to about 4mm thickness and cut into rounds or squares approximately 6-8cm in diameter. Lay the biscuits on a baking paper-lined baking tray and prick the surface all over with a fork. Refrigerate biscuits for 30minutes. Preheat oven to 180*C (regular) or 170*C (fanbake). Sprinkle extra castor sugar over the shortbread then bake for 8 minutes, or until firm to touch. Cool before removing from the baking sheet. Split vanilla beans and scrape out the seeds, adding these to the mascarpone. Mix well together. To assemble shortbreads, place a small drop of mascarpone in the centre of each plate to stop the shortbread moving around. Carefully place a biscuit on top and spread with a teaspoonful of mascarpone (level it out as best you can). Add a layer of berries (if using strawberries slice them so it stacks better). Put another biscuit on top and repeat. Three biscuits per serve work best. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and drop a few berries and macadamia nuts around the plate.