Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts

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Pink Peppercorn Shortbread is a  rich crumbly buttery shortbread delicately flavoured with the spicy floral notes of pink peppercorn and so easy to make!

Shortbread is one of my favourite biscuits to bake, especially when I make them every Christmas as gifts. Although I love the buttery taste of shortbread, I do like to add a flavour every now and again.

This year I had some pink peppercorns leftover from a sauce I made where the I felt the more delicate flavour of the ‘pink pepper’ was preferable to the more usual black pepper.

Bearing in mind the flavour of the pink peppercorns, I thought they would bring a subtle spicy twist to a shortbread – mild but still delivering a gentle peppery kick. Despite appearing very much like peppercorns, these little pink beauties aren’t actually a pepper at all but are the dried berries of the Brazillian Pepper Tree. Don’t they look so pretty ?

These Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts are delicious on their own but I’m going to serve them with a creamy lemon posset for a Valentine’s Day dessert, I reckon OH will love it. I’ll report back and let you know how it goes. Have you got any culinary plans for Valentine’s Day this year ?

5.0 from 5 reviews

Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A rich crumbly buttery shortbread delicately flavoured with the spicy floral notes of pink peppercorn and so easy to make !

Author: Tales From The Kitchen Shed

Recipe type: Baking

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 225 g softened butter
• 110 g caster sugar plus extra for sprinkling
• 225 g plain flour
• 110 g cornflour
• A pinch of sea salt
• ¾ teaspoon lightly crushed pink peppercorns plus extra for garnish

Instructions

Stand Mixer:

1. Add butter and sugar to the bowl and beat until creamed, which should take between one and two minutes depending on how soft your butter is and your mixer speed; number 4 to number 6 speed.
2. Sift flour and cornflour into a separate bowl and then add half to your creamed butter and sugar. Start your mixer on slow (number 2 speed) to prevent the flour flying out of the bowl - mix for a few seconds. Add the remainder of the flour mix and crushed pink peppercorns, combine until it all comes together around the beater - about 1 minute.

By hand:

1. Cream the butter and sugar.
2. Add the flour and cornflour in 3 or 4 batches adding the crushed pink peppercorns with the last batch, mix until the dough comes together. Don't overwork it.

Shape & bake your shortbread:

1. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and preheat your oven to 300°F / 150°C / Gas Mark 2
2. Place your dough onto a floured work surface. Roll out the dough to just less than 6 mm (¼ inch) thick. Cut the dough using a shaped cutter and then place your shortbread hearts on a baking tray.
3. Bake in the oven until pale golden in colour. Depending on the size of your cutter, your Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts will probably take about 15 to 20 minutes to bake.
4. If the shortbread begins to turn brown before it is cooked, turn your temperature down by 10 ℃
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before sprinkling with caster sugar and crushed pink peppercorns.

Notes

I use a stand mixer to make shortbread, it keeps mixing to a minimum and ensures a tender crunchy shortbread. Alternatively, you can cream the butter and sugar together with a hand held mixer or a wooden spoon in a large bowl.

3.5.3208

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I’m entering Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts to a few challenges in February:

• Charlotte’s  Food Year Link Up Challenge over at Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen.
• Elizabeth’s  No Waste Food Challenge over at Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary.
• Credit Crunch Munch created by Camilla from Fab Food 4 All & Helen over at Fuss Free Flavours & hosted this month by Helen.
• Treat Petite created  by Stuart over at Cakeyboi and Kat at The Baking Explorer, hosted this month by Lisa over at United Cakedom.

I’m linking Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts to:

Fiesta Fridays co hosted this week by Mila at Milk and Bun and Hilda at Along The Grapevine