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.
Nicki Evans
Not really...
Julie D
clean the oven glass whilst still warm from cooking, comes off so much easier
Rachel Craig
I use diluted Milton for cleaning mugs and cups. It is great for removing tea stains. Just dilute as guided and fill mug / cup for short time. Once you see the mug is clean, then remove diluted Milton solution. Though I must admit I use the solution several times, as it works effectively for many mugs before it needs to be discarded.
kim neville (@kimneville2)
If you need to clean your oven grills soak them in the bath with some washing powder and in the morning will be very easy to clean off and shine again
Iona Cornish
If you're rubbing in butter for a recipe, put it in the freezer for 10 minutes first. It will "crumb" better that way
gouldie7
Get all your dishes, bowls, measured ingredients & utensils out before you start, and run a bowl of washing up water. Then when you put your recipe in the oven, you can wash up and clean down before you have to open the oven again!
pete c
always ensure your worksurfaces are really clean before you start working on them
Chris Davies
Great tips everyone! They are all very useful
Jess Powell
Not really...
gymbunnymummy
Oh wow, I've never heard of anything like this before. They look amazing. #TastyTuesday
Barbara
Make sure you prepare all ingredients and put on oven before you start so you do not have to look for ingredients with sticky fingers1
Jo Hutchings
None of my hacks involve cleaning unfortunately, but to finish off a jar of Nutella put a scoop of ice-cream inside and eat straight from the jar with a spoon!
amy p
clean as you go!
Alix Smith
speed up the ripening of a banana by putting it in a paper bag
Lauren Prater
Thanks for sharing your recipe! Great giveaway too 🙂 x
Lyn Bosomworth
use white vinegar to clean glass
Laura Todd
Only clean on a sunday, it's less stressful
patisseriemakesperfect
These look so delicious Hannah. I've never had rye in shortbread. I've baked a rye loaf before. Dan Lepard has a great recipe in his book Short & Sweet.
I've never seen such beautiful shortbread, it's stunning.
martinaevansdesigns
Leave your herbs in the freezer. Doing this keeps them fresh and makes them a lot easier to chop. They will immediately defrost as soon as they hit a hot pan 🙂
Natalie Crossan
Washing powder really loosens up stains on cups and spoons!