SHORTBREAD STARS

1. Heat the oven to 165°C, fan forced.
2. Place the butter, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix to combine.
3. Once smooth with no lumps of butter remaining, add the flour, cornflour, salt, and nutmeg and mix until the ingredients just come together as a dough.
4. Press the dough into an even, flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 20 minutes.
5. Cut the chilled dough into quarters and work with one at a time while keeping the remaining pieces in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured workbench, roll the dough to approximately 10mm in thickness.
6. Cut four 5-point stars in the following sizes: 190mm, 165mm, 130mm, 90mm, and one small 45mm star.
7. Return the offcuts of pastry to the refrigerator and reroll as required.
8. Transfer the stars onto a lined baking tray and prick them with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
9. Allow the shortbread stars to cool on the trays for 5 minutes. Then, finely grate the dark chocolate over two stars of each size, as well as the small star. Finely grate the white chocolate over the remaining stars.
10. Transfer the shortbread stars onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

ASSEMBLY

1. Temper the chocolate by placing it into a saucepan over an induction cooktop on setting 4. Stir continuously until you have 50% solids and 50% liquid. Transfer the chocolate into a heat-proof plastic bowl and stir vigorously until the solids have completely melted.
2. Assemble the cooled shortbread stars into a Christmas tree, starting with the largest star and stacking them up to the smallest. Offset the points of the stars and use a small amount of tempered chocolate to secure the stars in place. Ensure the first and last stars are coated in grated dark chocolate.

Note: Store at room temperature for 5-7 days.