Sunday, May 8

Cardamom shortbread

I do like a bit of shortbread, and when it's got a twist on traditional shortbread, so much the better.

This shortbread offers the subtle combination of flavours of cardamom and chickpeas, while the yellow gram flour gives it a lovely colour. Very simple and quick to make, irresistible!


100g gram (chickpea) flour
50g plain flour
75g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, softened
4 cardamom pods

Sift the flours into a large bowl, then mix in the sugar. Split the cardamom pods and put the seeds into a pestle & mortar, grind them small then add to the flour and sugar.


Soften the butter and mix it into the other ingredients with the back of a wooden spoon. The mix will not come together, it will remain as a dry texture.

Once the butter is all combined, tip the mix into a greased square or round baking tray and press it flat with the back of a metal spoon, compressing the mix together, smoothing the top and pressing the edges down. It should be no more than an inch thick.


Bake in a cool oven at gas mark 2 (150C or 300F) for about 25 minutes, at which stage it should be starting to brown at the edges. Mark out the biscuits with a knife while it is still hot, and sprinkle caster sugar over the top, but leave it in the tin to cool. When it's cool, cut right through and lift out the biscuits.

3 comments:

colleen said...

Can almost smell that warm, orangey cardamom from here.

Alas, I am trying to reduce cholesterol, though I guess if I was very disciplined I could make them for others...

knit nurse said...

Oh dear, I feel for you. I have a friend doing the same, she has cut out both yoghurt and butter because she prefers having neither to suffering the substitutes!

colleen said...

So I gave in and made this. Not for me, of course, to share, though I did have to taste some for quality assurance purposes. Very good texture and a lovely subtle taste. Thank you!