Marbled Shortbread
By OcadoLife
Published on 12 November 2024
“What’s better than crumbly, buttery shortbread? Two types in a single biscuit!” says Nicola Lamb, biscuit fiend, pastry chef and author of new baking bible Sift who created this Marbled Shortbread recipe. “Marbling together rich cocoa and warm vanilla gives the best of both worlds. As shortbread is basically playdough, blobbing together the mixtures can be outsourced to any little hands in your life. My niece and nephew make pretty good kitchen assistants, and we love breaking the don’t-play-with-your-food rule!”
Time and servings
35 minsTotal time
20 minsPrep time
15 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 160g unsalted butter, softened
- 80g caster sugar
- 75g fine semolina
- 170g plain flour
- 10g cocoa powder
- 0.5 tsp sea salt flakes
- 1 tsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or use ½ pod, seeds scraped out)
Method
Step 1
For the chocolate shortbread, in a mixing bowl, cream 80g butter and 40g caster sugar with an electric whisk for 1 min, until pale. Add 35g fine semolina, 85g plain flour, the cocoa powder, ¼ tsp sea salt flakes and the milk; stir to form a stiff dough.Step 2
For the vanilla shortbread, in a separate mixing bowl, use the whisk to cream the remaining 80g butter and 40g caster sugar with the vanilla extract or seeds for 1 min, until pale. Add the remaining 40g fine semolina, 85g plain flour and ¼ tsp sea salt flakes; stir to form a stiff dough.Step 3
Tear off a sheet of baking paper. Divide the doughs into small blobs and alternate them on the paper to build a 25 cm x 5 cm log. Gently squish it together, then roll back and forth until smooth. Wrap in the paper and chill for 2 hrs until firm.Step 4
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Slice the log into approx. 20 x 1 cm rounds and arrange on a lined large baking tray. Bake for 15-17 mins, until golden at the edges; leave to cool fully on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.Step 5
Recipe Tip: Allow extra time for chilling and cooling