Easy Shortbread Recipe

Easy Shortbread Recipe with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries

This easy shortbread recipe is quick and simple to make. It consists of buttery, crumbly shortbread containing dried raspberries and nuggets of white chocolate. It is topped with a white chocolate drizzle and a sprinkling of dried raspberries. This is one of those brilliant recipes which needs very little effort but which looks impressive and tastes delicious.

I like to think of this recipe as a half-way house to Millionaire’s Shortbread. The white chocolate drizzle adds a richness to the shortbread but is lighter than a full-on caramel and chocolate topping. The dried raspberries also have a slight sharpness which goes perfectly with the white chocolate and prevents the shortbread being overwhelmingly sweet.

What you need to know about Shortbread with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries
  • Making the basic shortbread is really easy which makes it perfect for those who are not experienced bakers. It is also a great recipe if you want to cook with younger children or for older children to cook by themselves. The only slightly more complicated bit is adding the white chocolate drizzle (step 8).
  • The basic shortbread recipe is quick to make – from bowl to table in under half an hour. This makes it great for a bit of spontaneous weekend baking but also good if you suddenly need to make something quickly. However, you do need to allow time for the white chocolate drizzle to cool and set.
  • The quantities in this recipe make eight thick pieces of shortbread. However, it is really easy to make more by doubling the ingredients and either using two 20 cm (8 inch) pie tins or one 30 cm (12 inch) tin. Make sure that the depth of the mixture in the tin is about one cm (half an inch).
  • I always use butter in this recipe as I prefer the flavour. However, if you are a vegan or wish to avoid dairy products, you can use a non-dairy substitute instead of the butter.
Shortbread with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries
What you need to know about using white chocolate in this recipe
  • White chocolate is made from cocoa butter, sugar and milk solids. It does not does not contain cocoa solids. Therefore, it is not technically a chocolate in the way as milk or dark chocolate. It does not really have a chocolatey flavour, and is often flavoured with vanilla, but it has a similar “mouth feel” to other kinds of chocolate as it contains cocoa butter.
  • When you cut up the chunks of white chocolate to include in the shortbread (step 4) you need to make sure the pieces are not too small. Very small chunks will melt down during the baking process and you will not have delicious nuggets of chocolate in your finished shortbread. A good guide is to aim for each of your chunks to be about the size of a raisin.
  • You need to be careful when you are melting the white chocolate to make the drizzle on top of the shortbread (step 8). Make sure that you melt it very gently as, if you overheat it, it can turn lumpy or grainy. I generally melt my white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. I make sure that I keep the power low and only microwave the chocolate for a few seconds at a time. However, if you do not regularly melt white chocolate and want to be sure to avoid the mixture going lumpy, using a double boiler or putting it in a bowl over a saucepan of warm water is an easier way to keep control of the temperature. 
  • Once you have melted your white chocolate, you need to work pretty quickly to get it onto your shortbread. However, if it starts to set, you just need to add a bit of heat – either in the microwave or in a double boiler – to loosen it up again.
  • How you drizzle your chocolate depends on your equipment, time and expertise. If you want to make relatively even lines of chocolate, you can use a piping bag. Otherwise, you can just drizzle the chocolate over the shortbread using a teaspoon. It doesn’t need to be perfect to look good. The lines of chocolate in my photographs are certainly not even but, with a sprinkle of dark pink dried raspberries, I think they look quite artistic (in a Jackson Pollock kind of way…)

Baking shortbread or biscuits (cookies) is a really good place to start for inexperienced bakers. They are generally very easy and do not take very long to bake. You might also like my Lavender Shortbread, Almond Shortbread with Rosewater or my simple Lemon Biscuits (Cookies). If you want something a bit different, then you could try my Ginger Biscuits (Cookies) made with oats and stem ginger. I also have a great Cheese Biscuit recipe, which you can make with or without chilli, if you want a savoury snack.

Other tea-time treats

Another good starting point for new bakers (or experienced bakers looking for an quick route to deliciousness!) is the loaf cake. I am a big cheerleader for loaf cakes. They are quick, easy, versatile and do not require any extra icing or decoration (unless you want to do it). If you want a basic everyday cake, look no further than a loaf cake. They are also a great base for experimenting with flavours which is a big reason for me to love them! Here are some of my favourites.

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Shortbread with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries

Easy Shortbread Recipe with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries

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  • Author: Tastebotanical
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 pieces of shortbread 1x
  • Category: Biscuits (Cookies)
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: English

Description

This easy Shortbread recipe is made extra-special with the addition of white chocolate and dried raspberries.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 180 g (6 oz) plain flour

  • 125 g (4 oz) butter

  • 55 g (2 oz) caster sugar

  • 60 g (2 oz) ground almonds

  • 125 g (4 oz) white chocolate or white chocolate chips

  • 4 tablespoons of dried raspberries

     


Instructions

  1. Set your oven to 180 C, 350 F or Gas Mark 4. 
  2. Sift the flour into a large bowl.  Add the butter and combine –  either by “rubbing in” by hand or processing – until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. 
  3. Stir in the sugar and the ground almonds.
  4. Coarsely chop half of the white chocolate (60g or 2 oz) and add it to the mixture.  Stir in half of the dried raspberries (2 tablespoons).
  5. Tip the mixture into a 20 cm (8 inch) loose-based pie tin.   Press the mixture into the tin using the back of a spoon.   
  6. Put the tin into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.   The shortbread will be done when it is light golden brown in colour.
  7. Remove from the oven.  Score the shortbread into segments eight segments using a sharp knife. Allow the shortbread to cool in the tin.
  8. Melt the remaining half of the white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave or over a “double-boiler”.  Drizzle it over the top of the shortbread and then sprinkle with the remaining dried raspberries.

 


This recipe has been shared on #CookBlogShare with Lost in F00d and #Fiesta Friday with Fiesta Friday and  Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons

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Shortbread with White Chocolate and Dried Raspberries