Scottish shortbread cookies made with vegan butter and whole wheat flour
Course Dessert
Cuisine scottish, vegan
Keyword shortbread, vegan
Prep Time 8 hourshours
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 12cookies
Ingredients
2½cups500g (2¼ cups) cold vegan butter
1½cupsvegan icing sugar
2cups+ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
2cupsred spring wheat flour or whole wheat flour
1½cups+ 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted
2tspfine sea salt
Instructions
Make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and icing sugar on medium speed until smooth and paler, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure the butter is fully incorporated with the sugar.
Add the cornstarch and any flavour additions (see page 225) and beat until combined, 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the red spring wheat flour, sifted all-purpose flour, and salt. Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the remaining dry ingredients and stir just until a smooth paste forms. Avoid over-mixing, which will develop the gluten in the flour and result in tough shortbread.
Shape the dough and chill
Place the cookie dough in the centre of a piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Fold one end of the parchment towards you over the dough. Holding a bench knife nearly parallel to the work surface and angled slightly downward, push towards the dough, forcing it into a log in the parchment. The log should be 3 inches (8cm) in diameter.
Place the log in the fridge for at least 8 hours or up to 5 days. If there is space in the fridge, it is best to hang the log to prevent any flat sides. I find this is more achievable if the log is wrapped in plastic rather than parchment paper. Otherwise, roll a kitchen towel around the wrapped log to provide some padding, then lay the log on a shelf.
Bake the cookies
About 45 minutes before you plan to bake the cookies, arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Remove the shortbread log from the fridge and unwrap it. Cut the log crosswise on a cutting board into slices about ½ inch (1cm) thick. Arrange the cookies on the lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches (5cm) between them to allow for even baking. (Typically, these cookies don’t spread.)
Bake the cookies until lightly golden brown on top, 10 to 12 minutes. If you are not using a convection oven, you may need to rotate the cookies halfway through. If they have spread a little, while they are still hot, use a cookie cutter to trim the edges. This step isn’t necessary but will make the biscuits uniform and tidy. Allow the shortbread to cool on the baking sheet for 1 hour.
Store the shortbread in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days.
Notes
Shortbread Flavour Variations
Lemon and Thyme Zest of 2 lemons Juice of 1 lemon 7g (3 tablespoons) fresh thyme leaves, finely choppedAdd the ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar along with the cornstarch.Cardamom and Rose Zest and juice of 1 lime 5g (1½ teaspoons) ground cardamom 5g (1 teaspoon) rose water 10g (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extractAdd the ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar along with the cornstarch.Orange and Poppy Seed Zest of 2 oranges Juice of 1 orange 50g (¼ cup) poppy seedsAdd the ingredients to the creamed butter and sugar along with the cornstarch.Mint, Matcha, and Chocolate 10g (2 teaspoons) mint extract 10g (5 teaspoons) matcha powder (the best quality available) 100g (¾ cup) chopped dairy-free dark chocolate, meltedIn step 1, add the mint extract when creaming the butter and sugar together. Whisk the matcha powder into the dry ingredients in step 3. After the dough is fully mixed at the end of step 3, slowly pour in the melted dark chocolate and very gently incorporate on low speed for 5 to 10 seconds to create a ripple effect. Although this will make the dough slightly messy to roll, it looks beautiful and tastes even better.