From the master of pastry making and cakes himself, Duff Goldman, comes this recipe for Scottish Shortbread. Shortbread is a simple dessert, with a focus on flavors, and perfected thick, cake-like texture. As vanilla is the traditional flavor component in Scottish shortbread, this recipe puts the bean in the spotlight, layering it into four separate segments of the dish.
Overall, it’s simple, bright in flavor, and delicious. Enjoy it as the finish to an elegant meal with a glass of Cava or Sauternes, for something sweet. Don’t feel bad-we still feel compelled to douse it in vanilla bean ice cream and homemade hot fudge, and probably will.
Scottish Shortbread Sundae with Blueberry Ice Cream
by Duff Goldman for Vanilla Table
Serves 4–6
Blueberry Ice Cream:
- 3 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed, fresh is better)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup water (you might need more, but start with this)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 cups half’n’half, or half amount of cream and half of milk
- 3 tbs vanilla paste
Scottish Shortbread:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup powdered icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 1/2 cups plain flour
- Hefty pinch of sea salt
Crème Chantilly:
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1 tbs maple syrup
- 1 tbs wildflower honey
- 1/2 a vanilla pod, with seeds
Crème Fraîche Sauce:
- 1 cup crème fraîche
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out; save pod for another use
- 3 tbs white sugar
To Serve:
- 4–6 chiffonade of lemon verbena leaves or edible flower petals
- 1 tbs cherries
* If in season, fresh cherries are ideal, but you can use ‘cocktail’ cherries in a pinch
Blueberry ice cream
Put the blueberries, sugar and water in saucepan. Simmer for about 5 minutes while keeping an eye on the water. Don’t let it get too dry and burn, but don’t leave too much water either. Add lemon juice and purée in a blender until smooth. Chill in the fridge overnight.
Stir in half’n’half and vanilla paste. Freeze in an ice-cream maker until it looks like soft-serve, then scoop out and put in the freezer until set and frozen.
Scottish shortbread
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.
Cream butter, sugar and vanilla paste. Beat until smooth. Sift dry ingredients together, then gently fold into the butter until the mixture is homogeneous.
Press dough evenly into an 8 x 12 in/20 x 30 cm square pan. Mark into smaller squares by pushing the tines of a fork about ¾ of the way through the dough.
Bake in preheated oven 23–28 minutes. Cut along markings while still hot but let it cool in the pan. Turn out and store in an airtight container.
Crème Chantilly
Heat the cream with syrup, honey and vanilla seeds until hot. DO NOT BOIL.
Chill in the fridge 3 hours or up to overnight. Whip to soft peaks when you are ready to serve.
Crème fraîche sauce
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk together until smooth. Let sit for at least an hour, chilled, before serving. Give a quick whisk right before serving.
To serve
Pool the crème fraîche sauce on the plate and place one square of shortbread on top. Scoop a small sphere of blueberry ice cream and place on the shortbread. Spoon on a dollop of crème Chantilly and put the cherry on top. Lightly scatter the lemon verbena or flower petals.
Find more delicious recipes like this in your copy of the new cookbook release Vanilla Table.
Recipe reprinted with permission from Jacqui Small LLP, part of the Quarto Publishing Group, 2015