Ginger + chili shortbread
MAKES 10 to 14 biscuits (depending on size)
Shortbread, something I’ve always loved making whether it be a classic, flavoured or nut flavour….but I am however pedantic about some minor details to achieve perfection.
The shortbread must be the same size and uniform in shape.
I try to accomplish the small wrinkles ( see picture and you will see what i mean ) on the surface of the shortbread. This can be done by not chilling the dough for to long before cutting and using a bread knife to slice through the dough.
The final fork pricks must be even.
When making classic shortbread, or shortbread with nuts, once cooked the shortbread should always be pale and never coloured.
The perfectly cooked shortbread should always be buttery and ‘short’
After tasting Fortnum & Mason’s ginger + chili cookies last year, I fell in love with the flavour combination and to create these delicious cookies myslef was definitely on the the to do list…..!
So ta-daaa, here’s the recipe for the shortbread with the warmth and depth flavours of ginger and the slight kick of chili - you must be warned they are truly delicious!
INGREDIENTS
225g softened butter
110g icing sugar
90g cornflour
260g plain flour
4 tsp grd. ginger
1 tsp hot chili powder
METHOD
Preheat oven to 150c bake (not fan bake) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a stand mixer, cream the softened butter and icing sugar and beat until pale, light and fluffy.
Now add the cornflour, plain flour, ginger and chili powder and beat until the mixture begins to clump together and forms a dough.
Tip dough out, onto a clean work surface and using your hands bring the dough together into a soft small dough ball. Now shape the dough into a long log. Once you have a log, you can now shape the log, into a round log, a rectangle block or a square block. (see notes)
Chill the shaped log/block in the fridge for 15mins.
After 15mins its time to cut the log/block into approx. 1cm slices and place each slice on the baking tray and prick 3 times with a fork.
Bake at for 15mins at 150c then turn down the oven to 120c and bake for a further 35mins. The shortbread should be just cooked at the stage, but I often turn the oven off and leave the door slightly open and leave the shortbread in the oven for a further 10mins.
Once cool, store in an airtight container for up-to 1 week.
NOTES + VARIATIONs
To shape the rectangle or square log, I use two small chopping boards and shape the sides, top and bottom by slapping the dough with the boards into the shape I want.
You can alter the amount of chilli and ginger that you add to these biscuits. If you want to leave out the chilli altogether you will still have a delicious ginger shortbread.