Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts
Spiced Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts are 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 ?
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Pink Peppercorn Shortbread Hearts
Equipment
- Stand Mixer fitted with paddle attachment – I used my KitchenAid
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutter
- Baking tray lined or greased
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:
- 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.
- 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:
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- 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:
- Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and preheat your oven to 170℃/150°C fan/ 300°F/Gas Mark 3.
- 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.
- 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.
- If the shortbread begins to turn brown before it is cooked, turn your temperature down by 10 ℃
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack before sprinkling with caster sugar and crushed pink peppercorns.
Notes
- For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
- Stored in an airtight container Pink Peppercorn shortbread will keep for up to two weeks.
- Shortbread Hearts can be stored frozen for up to three months. Open freeze shortbread on a flat surface for two hours before transferring to a freezer bag or container. Defrost thoroughly at room temperature.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Thinking I need to be a bit more adventurous and bring in some more savoury spices and such in my baking! These shortbread hearts look great! Thank you for sharing with this month’s treat petite!
Thanks Lisa, it’s amazing how savoury spices can work so well in baking. A pleasure to share with Treat Petite.
These are beautiful, and the pink peppercorns are a stroke of genius!
I just made this lovely shortbread. Very, very good, and I will definitely be making it again.
These biscuits looks so pretty and sound so good! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
I Love Shortbread & this version sounds so unique & festive with the addition of pink peppercorns! I am pinning to try 🙂 I would love for you to share at my Sunday Fitness & Food Link-up at: http://www.marathonsandmotivation.com
Thanks for pinning Angela. I’m away at the moment but as soon as I get back I’ll pop over to your blog 🙂
I would never have thought about putting peppercorns in the shortbread but they look brilliant and to serve them with lemon posset is right up my street!! Lemon desserts are my favourite. We don’t have any culinary plans as we are away for Valentines this year. Thank you so much for joining us at #BloggerClubUK hope to see you again next week xx
Thanks Clare, a pleasure to link up with #BloggerClubUK. Have a lovely time on your Valentines break xx
These look so pretty and I love the idea of serving them with lemon posset, I’m sure it will go down well. I’ve never tried pink peppercorns so I’ll have to keep an eye out for them. Would I find them alongside the “regular” pepper in the supermarket?
Thanks Charlotte, I’ve made the lemon posset today, we’re having a Valentine’s family meal to celebrate my sister’s wedding anniversary. You’ll find the pink peppercorns in most supermarkets in the spice aisle.
Such beautiful shortbread! Thanks for entering into Treat Petite.
Thanks Kat, a pleasure to link up with Treat Petite 🙂
These look like the sweetest (and tastiest) gifts for Valentines Day! I don’t think we’ve ever tried putting peppercorn in shortbread but we love shortbread so would love to try this! Thanks so much for linking to #YumTum this week x
Thanks Charlotte, a pleasure to share with #YumTum. Hope you enjoy Pink Peppercorn Shortbread as much as we do x
I love the look of these! Pluss, it’s a completely different recipe from one i tried before, which was a disaster. I will definitely be trying this recipe out, thanks for sharing
Thanks and you’re most welcome. I hope you like Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins as much as we do, let me know how you get on 🙂