Honey & Ginger Shortbread

Just a short, sweet recipe for a rainy summer’s day – my mum’s amazing honey & ginger shortbread, which no one can resist at tea time, or at any other time.

Combining the traditional buttery comfort of shortbread with the rich, exotic, slightly unusual flavour of crystallised ginger, these biscuits turn out crumbly, chewy and utterly delicious. They also only take about 25 minutes to make from start to finish, so they’re a great option to make if you have guests coming around and don’t have much in the cupboard. I keep a small bag of crystallised ginger on hand at all times for this very reason.

HONEY & GINGER SHORTBREAD

Makes 16

150g plain flour

75 butter

25g caster sugar

1.5 tablespoons of thick honey

50g crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 170c. Rub the butter into the flour then stir in the sugar and honey. Add the chopped ginger. Stir then bring it together with your hands on your work surface, kneading the dough gently for a minute or so. Press the mixture into a small floured or parchment lined tin, using your fingers to press it into the corners. Flatten the top by pressing down on it with a spatula. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until a deep golden. Cut into squares and sprinkle with caster sugar while still warm then transfer to a cooling rack. If you want them chewier, return them to tin for a few minutes in a hot oven and cool them again. Store in an airtight box.