Every year I bake fruit cake for Christmas and this year I shortlisted on my favorite Scottish shortbread. As the name implies this shortbread cookie is Scottish in origin.
A little more about Scottish Shortbread; it is one of the most famous treats of Scotland and it date back to centuries. The first versions were made from the remnants of dough left over from breadmaking and contained fine oatmeal and yeast. This dough was sprinkled with sugar and perhaps some spices, and then baked slowly in a cool oven to produce a very hard, dry biscuit-bread, w hich didn't spoil quickly. As time passed the yeast was replaced with homemade butter and oatmeal with flour...resulting in a recipe that produces the melt-in-your-mouth shortbread.
In those days it was very expensive and people only got to taste it on special occasions such as weddings, Christmas....etc. There are also some rituals associated with it like it played a part in welcoming new brides to their marital homes....do you know that there is also a National Shortbread Day which falls on January 6th every year.
You will love this shortbread because it has a buttery flavor and salted butter enhance the flavor.
It has a kind of melt-in-your-mouth texture. After baking the shortbread, I topped it with a generous amount of chocolate and then drizzled caramel sauce and on top of that salted and roasted chopped cashewnuts....need any excuse for not trying this amazing cookies with chocolate, caramel, and nuts....this is one cookie that weakened me so much that I forgot I was on a "sweet diet" seriously friends it "weakens" you.
Recipe Source: Nisa Homey.
Tip: #You can use any type of chocolate; since milk chocolate is available here I used it, just one suggestion is that if using milk chocolate just reduce 2 tbsp of sugar....if you are on the sweet side...then it should be fine.
#I have tried with semi sweet chocolate and also toblerone; though it has a small crunch....I would suggest you to try it with your favorite chocolates.
Ingredients:
Butter: 1 cup/2 sticks.(I used salted butter)
Brown sugar: 1 cup, packed (I substituted by adding 1 tbsp of molasses to plain white sugar).
Flour: 2 cups.
SaltL 1/2 tsp (omit if using salted butter).
Egg yolk: 1/
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp.
Chocolate bars: 100-150 gm ( I used 5 (20 gm) Cadbury's Milk Chocolate bars)
Cashewnuts/Peanuts: Chopped, roasted and salted.
Method:
I coarsely powdered the sugar in my grinder, for easy creaming. Cream butter and brown sugar (to make brown sugar add a tbsp of molasses/jaggery to the sugar). Add the egg yolk and vanilla essence and cream again..
Add flour and cream until well blended.
Drop it into a 10-inch pan.
And spread evenly with your finger tips or a flat spatula.
And bake for 30-35 min or until done.
Now the best part, put the chocolate pieces on the hot shortbread.
With the heat the chocolate will melt and just spread it with a flat spoon.
Then drizzle a generous helping of caramel sauce over it.
Then sprinkle chopped cashewnuts over it....it should be roasted lightly with salt and do not skip that. I have made with roasted peanuts and that has a different flavour...a more of buttery and peanutty flavour....I just used cashewnut this time....
Cut into squares while still warm.
Surprise your family with this special Christmas treat.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas in advance.
Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe.
Caramel Sauce Recipe.
Chocolate Crackles (Christmas cookies)
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