Thursday, March 29, 2012

Shortcake




Nom nom nom.

Our Shortbread
(makes 6 big ones, or 8 smallish ones... 
maybe double this so you can have some plain with coffee the next morning!)

1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 C finely ground almond meal
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBS brown sugar
3 TBS very cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 tsp almond extract 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
~1/2 C milk (depending on kitchen conditions)

Preheat oven to 375F. In large bowl, mix together flour, almond meal, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar. Add cold butter to flour mixture, and pinch butter into flour with your fingers until a coarse meal is achieved. Add extracts to milk, then add milk to flour mixture and stir until just combined. Dough will be sticky. Dollop mounds of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 10 mins, or until edges are browned and centers are done (keep in mind that the almond meal will cause the shortbread to burn faster, so make sure your oven is completely preheated before putting them in, and put them in the lower half of the oven). Enjoy with macerated strawberries and whipped cream, or plain with coffee.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for this recipe! I will try it tomorrow morning! I love almond meal and try to go light on the wheat whenever I can. I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to share this recipe (and attribute with a link to your blog!) on my blog www.midlifecrisisintervention.com. I hope to post it tomorrow after testing the recipe. if it is a problem, plz let me know!- mlcintervention@gmail.com

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  2. I love link love, thanks for sharing! I hope they turn out as irresistible for you as they are for us... we have been experimenting with subbing fats for coconut oil in baked recipes, and this is a good one for that if you don't mind the extra coconut flavor!

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  3. Hi! We tried your shortcake with strawberries and whipped cream this morning for breakfast. My 13 year old gobbled it up while the 10 year old said it was too salty. Once the kiddos got to school I sat down with mine and shared both views- definitely gobble-able, but on the salty side. I cook by feel, but bake by recipe- is there any way I could cut back on the baking powder or salt so it isn't so salty tasting? I love the almond meal and every 100% gluten free recipe I've found is more of a cracker than a biscuit. So I'd love to find a way to make this a staple! Thx!

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  4. I think, depending on your family tastes, you could cut out the salt completely... my mom shares your 10yo's opinion about our shortcake, too, though I kinda like it as a foil against the sweetness of strawberries and cream (or creamER with coffee, haha)... I wouldn't cut out the baking powder, though, because with the almond meal, it would become very dense very fast... I'd start by reducing the salt to maybe 1/4 tsp, or a pinch, before cutting it out completely (the salt, or lack thereof, shouldn't change the overall texture of the final product). I'd love an update if you try this recipe again! Thanks for visiting!

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  5. I am trying this this weekend for memorial day and using a pinch for the chemistry of it! I will let you know!
    Thank you for your responses!

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  6. I can't wait to hear how it goes... so glad you're trying it again, I hope it turns out great!

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