If you’ve tried my dessert recipe you would know by now that I’m not a sweet tooth so when making sweets I tend to use less sugar or substitute sugar with honey. I just happen to be different from my families and friends. The two sweets that I actually enjoy eating are Australian shortbread and Anzac biscuits. Dad used to make shortbread for my mum’s side of the family every christmas and they loved it.
Besides Cambodian sweets, short bread was the first western sweet I learned how to make. Although my cravings for sweets have reduced more and more over the years I still wanted to add more flavour to this simple short bread recipe and reduce the dependence on sugar to make this happen so I added a natural sweetener instead.
I started by topping the shortbread with homemade apple puree and then baked it in the oven. What happened was that the topping dried out and the inside flavour didn’t really change. I had another go at making it and this recipe is the result of my experiment. I’m actually very pleased with how it turned out because the shortbread has become moist and somewhat like a cake. I love the golden apple pure on the top which gives the shortbread even more flavour.
Note: it doesn’t necessarily need to be apple, it can be any of your favourite fruits or fruits that are in season. Either way the puree will help keep the shortbread moist.
Use drinking water to make the puree and not tap water.
APPLE SHORTBREAD
Prep-Time: 15 mins Serve: 6
Cooking Time: 40 mins
Ingredients
2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
250g unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into pieces
apple puree
4 apples, peel and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp raw honey
1/4 cup water
Method
To make the puree: place the apples and the rest of the ingredients in a saucepan, cook on medium high heat for 10 minutes or until the apples are cooked and softened. If the apples haven’t softened and the water has reduced add in a bit more water and cook further until they do. Remove from the pan and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Place the cooked apples in a blender and blend into a puree, set aside.
Preheat oven at 200°C Fan Force. Grease the tray with butter and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, salt and baking powder. Then sift the flour and add it to the mixing bowl as well. Mix the ingredients with a spoon until well combined and the sugar is evenly spread out. Add in the butter and then continue to stir until the mixture has become very smooth. Now add in 1/4 of the puree and continue to mix again to combine.
Transfer into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the top layer turns golden. Remove from the oven after 30 minutes and then pour the apple puree onto the shortbread, spread evenly with a spatular. Now return the shortbread back to the oven and bake for further 5-10 minutes or until the apple puree changes its colour. Remove from oven and leave it to cool for a bit before serving.
