I’ve been pretty lacklustre with posts lately, and for that I apologise. After handing in my final assignments I ran out of steam then became ill, which is why there was an influx of guest posts, recycling and nothing posted.
I’m slowly getting back into the writing thing again, but in the mean time, since this is The Writer’s Cookbook, here’s a recipe (of my own creation!) for chai shortbread.
(For anyone who’s unsure of what chai tastes like, it’s a little bit like like winter spices. My colleagues at work both said this recipe tastes ‘Christmassy’ to them.)
This recipe should make about 26 pieces, depending on what cutter(s) you use.
Ingredients
- 175g cubed butter
- 90g caster sugar
- 230g plain flour
- Tsp ground cinnamon
- Tsp ground ginger
- Pinch black pepper
- Tsp all spice
- 3/4 tsp ground cardamom
- Dash of milk (optional)
Tools
- Stand mixer or good arm muscles and a balloon whisk
- Baking sheet
- Cooling rack
Instructions
- Mix butter, caster sugar and flour in your mixer or bowl
- Add the cinnamon, ginger, pepper, allspice and cardamom. If you don’t have ground cardamom (I can’t seem to find any), you can crush the seeds of five or six whole cardamoms, but that will give it more of a kick
- Add in the milk. This is an optional step. Shortbread doesn’t need milk, but I quite like the taste and texture that milk adds to it.
- Mix until it forms a dough—your bowl should be clean (or cleanish).
- Chill dough for at least half an hour in the fridge.
- Roll to 0.5cm-1cm thick and cut out. Generally shortbread is about 1cm thick, but I like mine thinner, so it’s up to you.
- Place on a baking sheet or over a tray covered in baking paper, and place in the oven at 170 (for a fan oven) for 12-15 mins. Leave in for a little longer if you like them crunchier, but keep an eye on them.
- Take out of the oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- Resist the temptation to eat them before they’ve cooled.