Perfect anytime of day type of biscuit with my stem ginger pieces, though a great food gift for Easter or Christmas. So a bit of a confession, I haven’t baked this shortbread myself just yet. I’m busy making all my products. Though I just wanted to get it up here for you all. I like the crumbly texture of shortbread and the butteriness. I’ll drizzle some dark chocolate on these or dip half of the shortbread in dark chocolate. This would be a great homemade great gifted to bring to someone or after dinner treat with a tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter, softened
- 90 g caster sugar
- 260 g plain flour
- 40 g rice flour, ground rice, or cornflour
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- A good pinch of salt
- 4 balls stem ginger
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 50 g roasted and chopped hazelnuts
Instructions:
- Let the butter sit out, covered, in a warm place for a few hours until softened.
- Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat it with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition, until the mixture becomes lighter in colour and fluffy.
- Sift the flour together with the rice flour (or ground rice or cornflour), ground ginger, and salt into the bowl.
- Add the chopped stem ginger, then use your hands to bring everything together until a smooth dough forms.
- Shape the dough into a log about 20 cm long and wrap it in cling film. Chill for around 20 minutes, or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.
- Remove the cling film and slice the log into 20 even rounds using a sharp knife.
- Place the slices slightly apart on the prepared baking sheets, baking in batches if needed.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, or until set but still pale. Allow the biscuits to cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes so they firm up.
- Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and enjoy within a week.
Dipped Chocolate Option
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Roast hazelnuts under the grill; keep an eye on them. Set to a medium heat and time for 1 minute. Add to a clean tea towel and rub vigorously to remove the skins as much as possible. Chop up into small pieces.
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Add your chocolate of choice to a bowl that will fit over a pot of hot water on the cooker. Also, you can put the chocolate into the microwave for 30-second bursts, take it out, mix it and put back in until melted.
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Place parchment paper on a flat surface. Have dark chocolate on one side and dip your shortbread in, or you can drizzle it over the shortbread. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts onto the chocolate straight after dipping or drizzling.
