As promised in my last post, another rye recipe...I have actually made that marbled rye bread twice since posting it, it is so good!
I've been eating marbled rye bread sandwiches for lunch every day and I haven't had enough of it yet! I made something a little sweeter this time though - rye shortbread biscuits flavoured with masala chai. If you haven't heard of masala chai before, it literally translates as mixed spice tea, and it is exactly that - black tea brewed with a blend of spices.
The exact blend of spices used varies quite a lot so I went for a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and star anise, you can adapt the mixture depending on what spices you have/like; it is also common to use black pepper so add a pinch of that if you fancy as well.
I also added some ground black tea leaves to my shortbread, this is entirely optional but seeing as chai means tea I figured there should be some in there!
The shortbread itself is very quick and simple to make, I used the basic 3-2-1 ratio (three parts flour, two parts butter, one part sugar), replacing some of the flour with rye; the texture is crisp, buttery and melt in the mouth, and the spices are perfectly balanced - warm and flavourful but not in your face.
It only takes a few minutes to make the dough, and the biscuits only take ten minutes or so to bake, but I do recommend freezing them before baking, this helps to stop them spreading and keeps them crisp, they only take about 15 minutes to freeze, although you can leave them in there until you are ready to bake if you want to make the dough in advance.
If you have been inspired to give masala chai a try, you should also check out these awesome Masala Chai Macarons by Patisserie Makes Perfect and if you want to try making your own masala chai tea here is a recipe.
For more biscuity goodness (to enjoy with your tea), these Nutella and Hazelnut Palmiers are super simple to make but look amazing; you can't beat a selection of home-made Classic British Biscuits; or for a slightly more indulgent treat, Salted Caramel and Wild Hazelnut Chocolate Shortbread - yum!
Masala Chai Spiced Rye Shortbread
Ingredients
- 100 g (¾ cup + 1 slightly rounded tbsp) plain flour
- 80 g (⅔ cup) rye flour
- 120 g (½ cup) vegan block butter cold and cubed
- 60 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground star anise
- the contents of 1 English breakfast tea bag
- demarera sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Combine the flours in a large bowl and add the butter, rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, spices and tea then bring the dough together, kneading very lightly until the dough is smooth, don't overwork it. You can also use a food processor if you prefer.
- Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper or silicone liners. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or between a couple of sheets of clingfilm to roughly 5mm thick. Cut out your desired shapes, re-roll any trimmings and cut out more biscuits. If the dough becomes too soft, wrap it in clingfilm and pop it in the fridge to chill for a bit.
- Place your biscuits slightly spaced apart on the baking sheets, sprinkle with demarera sugar, then place the trays in the freezer for 15 minutes or so while you heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
- Bake the biscuits for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
I am sharing these with Fabulous Foodie Fridays, Fiesta Friday hosted by The Not So Creative Cook and Foodbod, Foodie Fridiy, Foodie Friends Friday, Friday Favourites and Friday Features.
Hilda
Great flavours in this shortbread biscuit. Thanks for sharing.
Louise | Cygnet Kitchen
The rye flour must give these biscuits a lovely texture Hannah, I love all those gorgeous warm spices too. Lovely shots, they make me want to reach in and take one (or two!) x
Rachel Stephenson
I love these, I love Chai tea so these are instant winners!
Sheila Hodgson
The styling is simply lovely and I expect the taste will be just as good
cocoandlentil
Wow, these look delicious! I've only started using chia seeds in salads and muesli but hadn't thought of using them in baking - great idea! Will have to give it a go.
Lauren Tourle
i dont really but those biscuits look really yummy 🙂
karen cowley
When cleaning in the kitchen and old toothbrush comes in handy for around the taps x
traceypeach
None i can think of sorry
Martina Pichova
I love your hack of rolling dough between clingfilm. I will try it next time I am baking. I haven't got anything that hasn't already been mentioned.
aj
Nope sorry
iain maciver
tidy as you go along ,easier at the end not so much mess
Tracy K Nixon (@tracyknixon)
Slicing cherry tomatoes in half is quite difficult and time consuming if you have to do it one at a time. But I learned of a handy little kitchen hack whist watching This Morning not long ago!. You jut need two plastic lids that are the same size..... Put a bunch of cherry tomatoes on one of the lids (have it so the inner part of the lid is facing up). Now, put the other lid on top to sandwich them inside. Hold the lid down, grab a knife, and cut through all of them at once. Pull off the lid, and all your cherry tomatoes will be sliced neatly and cleanly!
fiona Hogan
Keep every tidy then you have more time to bake and eat the delicious biscuits. Recipe above x
Emma Woolf
Never cooked with rye before - these look lovely.
Lins @Boo & Maddie
I haven't used rye before (I'm a very novice cook/baker) but these would encourage me to have a go and the flavours sound delicious. Beautiful photos #tastytuesdays
julie booth
when cleaning kitchen tiles, showers etc - wipe down with a dry cloth and buff afterwards for a great shine
Suzanne Drummond
oooo never cooked with Rye before but i will have a go
ELAINE DALE
not really, but my husband has plenty
Theresaparker
The only one I can really think of is I use baby wipes to polish the brass taps on the old sink I have...I no that's not what they r for but I find them really effective...xx
Mary Heald
When defrosting your freezer or wiping out your fridge use a little bicarbonate of soda to get rid of odours