Valentines' Day: easy heart-shaped biscuits with pink icing...
updated May 2023
Mocha shortbread are a variation of the splendid bottom-of-the-barrel shortbread which needs only a few inexpensive ingredients. They're budget-friendly but taste like artisan baking.
These are a lovely treat for Valentine's Day, especially if you can find tear-shaped valentine cookie cutters, but really any heart-shaped cutter or any other cutter will do.
Like all shortbreads, it's really easy to make; an older child can handle it without problems.
The amount is for a small household but multiples easily.
Cost: £1.50'ish (5/23)
Makes: 8'ish biscuits
Ingredients:
100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter
25gm/oz white sugar
15gm/1/2oz brown sugar OR 40 gms/1.4oz white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla OR 1/2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp warm water
90gm/3.1oz plain white flour +
30gm/10z wholemeal
OR 120gm/5oz white PLUS
20gm/3/4oz good cocoa
- Whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds); beat in sugars until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; blend in vanilla or coffee
- Add flours; mix until clumps of dough form; gather them together into a ball, wrap in cling OR form a thick sausage-shaped roll 5-6 inches long, roll in a piece of cling film that's longer than it is wide, twist both ends to even out bumps, lumps and air pockets; shape into a square, triangle or round shaped roll
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour OR freeze; when ready to bake, defrost overnight
- Preheat oven to 170c/325f
- Either Roll out dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper lightly scattered with cocoa powder to the thickness of a one-pound coin. Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter dipped in flour, saving scraps. Lift the cookies onto the cooking tray with a lightly floured palette knife. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
- OR slice to thickness of a one pound coin
- Bake 10 mins or until brown at the edges.
- Serve plain, or drizzled with, or partially dipped in, melted white chocolate mixed with a drop of pink food colour* OR milk or dark chocolate OR drizzle with flowing butter-cream icing (start with 1/3 cup icing sugar mixed with 1/3 tsp milk or cream and a drop of pink food colouring)
- Store cookies in an airtight container
* Waitrose have a good selection of food colourings, many free of E numbers
Comments:
'Beautiful and amazing; they look so elegant. I am sure they are as delicious as usual so am saving them for tea with a guest tomorrow,'
semi retired octegenarian\
'They were really lovely - crispy and more-ish - and the pink icing didn't look odd at all.' Retired writer
Tips:
- dairy butter gives best flavour but margarine or vegan butter will do
- wholemeal flour and brown sugar can be replaced with white
- wholemeal flour is more dense and absorbs more liquid than white flour
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This recipe has been adapted by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be used commercially without the author's written permission.
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