Making Matariki Shortbread Biscuits

As part of our Matariki celebrations, we decided to make Matariki star shortbread! Researching a simple recipe, we began looking at the ingredients that we needed. Many of our little ones are avid bakers and already knew off the top of their heads some of the ingredients that were needed - such as butter and flour. 👍

Taking turns our little ones measured the ingredients and added them into a big bowl. As they began mixing, dough began to form. Using a rolling pin, we carefully rolled out the dough ready for our star cutter. Because we had already make Matariki playdough earlier in the week and were pressing and cutting out stars, our little ones were super confident and competent at having turns pressing out their own star shapes. This required a steady hand, concentration and the patience to carefully lift up the cutter without breaking the star shape.

Finally our stars were ready for the oven! Watching the timer carefully, our little ones waited in anticipation as the preschool room filled with the smell of freshly baked shortbread. We couldn’t wait for the shortbread to cool down completely and enjoyed eating them together for afternoon tea. A big part of Matariki is about family, kai (food) and togetherness. These Matariki star shortbread biscuits certainly brought us together and filled our pukus (stomaches) at the same time. 😊