Shortbread is one of my favourite things to make but I wanted to see if I could create a vegan version. Vegan food is more sustainable and can be so delicious! It’s also healthier than non-plant-based recipes! I loved the idea of a chocolate orange theme for Christmas and when I found vegan butter, there was no turning back! I did test the recipe with coconut oil, but I found this made the dough too soft and so this recipe is far more bake proof! I really love the little touch that the vegan chocolate buttons bring to the biscuits and they taste so good! I really hope you enjoy the recipe!
Recipe (makes about 30 shortbread rounds)
100g spelt flour
50g cornflour
100g vegan butter
50g coconut sugar
Pinch of salt
½ tsp of orange extract
A tiny splash of almond milk – ¼ tsp (to help combine)
Optional –an Ombar chocolate button on each biscuit
Extra flour for dusting when rolling out the dough
Equipment
Rolling pin
Pastry cutter – about 5.5cm diameter
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160o
- Mix all ingredients (except the chocolate buttons) together in a large bowl and knead the contents with your hands until a dough forms.
- Roll out the dough until about ½ cm thick on a floured surface. A trick is not to completely coat the worktop in flour but just a light dusting is fine. You only want enough flour to stop the mixture sticking and you want to avoid changing the proportions of the dough. I also dust the rolling pin.
- Use a 5.5 cm diameter round cutter to cut up to 30 rounds.
- Place them on 2 baking trays, which have baking parchment paper on. Bake the biscuits for 5 minutes.
- Take the biscuits out of the oven and push a chocolate button onto each one.
- Bake for a further 5-8 minutes until lightly golden.
- Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wired cooling rack to cool completely.