There was a little break in transmission for a day there, did you notice?
I usually prep posts for a Tuesday on Monday, but I came down with a stinky cold on Sunday – honestly, what is with summer colds??! – and spent all of Monday unable to breathe properly and feeling sorry for myself. It had been lurking behind some hay fever, so completely caught me unawares.
I did attempt the post prep and got as far as the photos and then had to give up as I stared at a blank space wondering what on earth I was going to write. Brain really wasn’t engaged (I actually typed ‘right’ instead of ‘write’, so maybe my brain isn’t fully engaged yet!)
I am gradually getting back to normal, but enough about my ailments, let’s get to the real reason we are here. Shortbread.
This recipe is slightly adapted from one in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s book River Cottage Light & Easy – which I have to admit I bought last year and haven’t made much from. I should really give more of the recipes a go and give it a through review – and came about for two reasons.
With all the sugar-laden Birthday festivities that had preceded I was feeling as if I had a bit of a sugar hang-over and really couldn’t face anything else that contained the white stuff. But yet my tastebuds were still hankering after something a little sweeter than vegetables. So.
In addition – and completely at odds with the whole ‘no sugar’ thing – I had actually planned macarons for this post instead, but it would appear that my macaron mojo is still out of whack, which, let me tell you, I am finding very disheartening. I need to get it back, so if anyone has any tips, they will be gratefully received. With another batch of sticky, gooey and all round failed macarons hitting the food waste bin, I needed something quick and easy to take their place.
Oh, and I have just thought of a third reason – biscuits. I was really craving a biscuit . . . a substantial biscuit . . .
This shortbread fits the bill. Lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, there is none of the refined stuff in sight. It behaves and acts exactly like “normal” shortbread and accompanies all the things that said “normal” shortbread does – cups of tea, strawberries and cream etc.
{little alpine strawberry from the garden in the spotlight up there}
It makes a great 11am pick-me-up, and there isn’t a splodge of butter in sight. No dairy, but because of the nuts you won’t notice that it isn’t there.
It is a very versatile creature and I am already thinking of flavours that I can use to jazz it up a bit.
All in all a very successful stand in that can well and truly hold its own.
Chestnut & Almond Shortbread
Ingredients:
- 100g chestnut flour
- 100g buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
- pinch of salt
- 100g ground almonds
- 50g coconut sugar
- 125ml rapeseed oil
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 170 Celsius / 150 fan / 340 Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
- In a medium bowl mix together the flours, baking powder, salt, ground almonds and sugar. Add the oil and mix to form a soft, slightly crumbly dough.
- Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a spoon, smoothing the surface as you go. Prick it with a fork several times.
- Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
- Using a blunt knife cut the shortbread into segments as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Store in an air-tight container out of direct sunlight for up to a week.
© The Pink Rose Bakery 2015
The Pink Rose Bakery 
The flavours sound delicious 🙂 I hope you’re feeling better now. Its absolutely rotten having a cold in the summer isn’t it, the sweaty horrid bits are just so much worse, and its not quite so acceptable to spend your days under a blanket!
Jennie x
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Do get better soon, summer colds are the end! I love anything made with chestnut flour, but it’s hard to get and expensive here, more’s the pity. Any thoughts on what other more ‘normal’ GF flour might make a decent substitute?
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Thank you – I felt better yesterday but seem to have taken a step back today and feel all out of sorts. The fact that, for some reason, I only got about 4 hours sleep might have something to do with it. I just wasn’t tired. Maybe too much sleep the night before, when I went to bed at 8!
Anyway . . . the shortbread. Hmmm. You could try subbing with more ground almonds, or how about blitzing some hazelnuts or cashews in the food processor until they are all mealy (sounds lovely!) and use them instead?? It was one of the thoughts I had on a variation . . . ?
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Do take it a bit easy…. Ground almonds is easy, I keep that in the pantry anyway, and I can get ground hazelnuts easily too…. I’ll give it a go!
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