Homemade Quick Shortbread

My oldest son is terrified of birds so even though we live just down the road from a free range egg farm and they have regular sales where older birds are only a pound or so each we do not have our own chooks. This morning when I had the craving for something sweet but did not have eggs to make any muffins or cupcakes I reached for an old notebook and made some shortbread.
I think the recipe came from an old microwave recipe book that came free with the appliance which has long since been replaced. It uses just three ingredients - caster sugar, butter and flour and only takes 5 minutes to cook in the microwave.  You can also cook it in the oven - that takes a massive 10 minutes instead.  This is one area where I use butter rather than margarine because I prefer the taste, but both will work in the recipe. If I am pushed I will use half and half for the plain recipe.  As always there are variations you can do to jazz up the recipe if you have a few pennies more.   I did not have caster sugar either so gave some granulated sugar a blitz in my blender before using (old Shirley Goode tip for saving a few pennies).

Basic Shortbread Makes 8 (big) wedges
250g plain flour
125 g butter (must be at room temperature i.e. soft)
60g caster sugar
Grease and line a 20cm cake tin suitable for the microwave (I use a Pyrex one but silicon ones also work well- poundland sell them), a standard sandwich cake tin will work for the conventional oven. If you are using a microwave, and do not have a tin, I have been told you can put the dough directly onto a piece of baking paper that has been sat on the turntable.
Mix together all the ingredients to form a soft dough, I just use a big metal tablespoon.  You only need to mix until just combined - this is not like pasta dough or bread dough where it needs to be kneaded.
Press the dough into the tin using the back of the spoon (it's too soft to roll out) and prick over the top with a fork to prevent it rising too much as it cooks.
Pop into the microwave and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool in the tin for at least 4-5 minutes more- don't skip this stage as the shortbread will just disintegrate as you cut it.  Turn out onto a chopping board to remove the paper and gently cut into wedges.  Serve with a cup of tea.

Variations- use whichever your hearts desire today
If you don't have plain flour self raising will still work - they just puff up a bit
Makes a good base for millionaires shortbread, add a layer of caramel and then melted chocolate
Drizzle the top with melted chocolate and/or chopped nuts
Drizzle the top with basic white icing (icing sugar and water) and/or coconut
Add chocolate chips (or in my case chopped value chocolate bar)
Add chopped nuts
Add dried fruit and candied peel (giant garibaldi)
Substitute 25 g of the flour for ground nuts such as almonds (gives a moist texture)
Substitute 25 g of the flour for cornflour (gives a smoother texture)
Substitute 25 g of the flour for ground rice (gives a slightly crunchy texture)
Add grated zest to the dough (lemon, orange, and lime all work) I like to use orange if I am drizzling with chocolate and lime/lemon if using icing and coconut.

I believe that it should last up to 5 days in an airtight tin, but have never had the chance to test it!