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Coffee Shortbreads

by Nigella

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Introduction

I always think of shortbreads as a particularly British taste, with their gentle, buttery plainness. But I’ve been proved wrong, in the sense that these biscuits seem to garner an international following after the first bite; I have been known to send friends back home to the States with a stash of shortbread, which is probably breaking many laws, but none of them gastronomic.

And, actually, this coffee version has a rather Italian feel about it: the manilla-coloured discs taste of the mellowest cappuccino you could imagine. I like to press a walnut half into each fat patty as I go; it gives the baked cookies, by then fairly large flattish discs, an elegant look with their nut-defined centre. Pecans would also be excellent here, but I can also assure you that this crisp but melting biscuits/cookies are wonderful if you wish to forgo the nuts and bake them plain and unadorned.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Image of Nigella's Coffee Shortbreads — Photo by Lis Parsons

Ingredients

Makes: 14

Metric Cups

60 grams golden (or regular) caster sugar
125 grams soft unsalted butter
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
150 grams plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
approx. 14 walnut halves

⅓ cup superfine sugar
8 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
approx. 14 walnut halves

Method

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/325°F, and line 2 flat baking sheets with baking parchment.
Mix the sugar, soft butter, instant espresso powder, and salt in a bowl using an electric mixer or by hand, and cream or beat the mixture until it is soft and light.
Measure the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in another bowl, and then spoon into the butter and sugar mixture, beating and mixing until it forms a dough and clumps together.
Roll into approximately 14 walnut sized balls, and place 7 on each baking sheet, about 8cm/3in apart as they do spread as they bake.
Gently flatten each ball until it’s a plump disc, and then press a walnut half into the top of each one.
Cook for 20 minutes — they will spread into domed biscuits. When they are ready they will still be soft and quite fragile, so leave on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C Fan/325°F, and line 2 flat baking sheets with baking parchment.
Mix the sugar, soft butter, instant espresso powder, and salt in a bowl using an electric mixer or by hand, and cream or beat the mixture until it is soft and light.
Measure the flour, baking powder and baking soda in another bowl, and then spoon into the butter and sugar mixture, beating and mixing until it forms a dough and clumps together.
Roll into approximately 14 walnut sized balls, and place 7 on each baking sheet, about 8cm/3in apart as they do spread as they bake.
Gently flatten each ball until it’s a plump disc, and then press a walnut half into the top of each one.
Cook for 20 minutes — they will spread into domed biscuits. When they are ready they will still be soft and quite fragile, so leave on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store the shortbreads in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can freeze the baked shortbreads in a resealable container, with baking parchment in between layers of shortbreads, for up to 3 months. To thaw, put the cookies on a plate or wire rack at room temperature for about an hour.
You can form the cookies and put them on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and freeze them unbaked. When solid, transfer to a resealable box (if in a bag, the walnuts can get knocked off). Bake from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the cooking time.