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.
Anthea Holloway
My handy kitchen tip is - put your sink tidy, washing up brushes, cutlery holder etc into the dishwasher to make sure they are always clean and healthy!
ann clements
wipe surfaces with fresh lemon after preparing fish
sheridarby
Get someone else in to do the cleaning
Ellie P
Wash up straight away and stains are easier to get off!
Caroline Signey
I use baby wipes on the kitchen floor for the odd food spill until I get round to mopping the floor properly
denise cross
a lemon slice in the fridge to absorb smells
Jamie
Only "tip" is to have everything ready and chopped up before you start cooking and to write it down as to where you put it 🙂
Laura winkless
I always add a bit of water to the last few drops of washing up liquid, means you get a couple more uses out of it and the bottle is clean for recycling voila!
jessica newman
lemon juice and bicarb of soda are great at removing stains off of worktops
abrammag
Have a sink full of really hot water and chuck in all your cooking utensils the moment you've finished using them. It makes cleaning them so much easier as nothing sticks.
Gill Mitchell
Warm solid butter in the microwave before making to make it easier to mix/rub in
Michelle Hughes (@shell_shoez27)
White Vinegar is amazing for stubborn stains
Emma Wolski
use white vinegar in your washing machine and put on an empty cycle to stop stagnant smell
alipally1
Mine is an easy one - chop a lemon in half and place in the fridge to kill any odours.
sandra ralph
none that i can think of but i love the look of these biscuits
Mia Clarke
Bicarb can be used to eliminate odours in the fridge
Laura Costello
The only thing that works for me is the less time spent in the kitchen the better haha
Tracyann Higgs
When using the biscuit cutter I dip it in a little bit of flour before cutting out to ensure it doesn't stick.
Great recipe
leonie owen
i clean and washing up as i cook, that why then there is less mess at the end
elloiseb
no haha