Ginger Shortbread with Elderflower Icing

There is always shortbread on my Afternoon Tea menu. I make them bite-sized, using a silicone mould. The recipe below uses a 20cmx20cm tin as standard; however, create them the way you want to.

You can also add different ingredients like elderflower, rose, lavender in place of the ginger and make different toppings. Once you have a basic recipe, just experiment.

I prefer to use an electric hand mix for this; however, if you prefer a stand mixer, use what works for you.

Ingredients

• 200g Rice Flour
• 140g GF Plain Flour
• 1 tsp Xanthum Gum
• 50g Icing Sugar
• 50g Caster Sugar
• 220g Butter/Vegetable Fat
• 50g Chopped Stem Ginger

Elderflower Icing

• Icing Sugar
• Elderflower Cordial

Method

• Heat your oven to 190C
• Whisk together the butter, caster sugar and icing sugar. Mix thoroughly but no need to cream.
• In a separate bowl, mix the flours and Xanthum Gum together, then add to the butter and sugar mix in 3 parts whisking between each addition.
• Firmly press the dough into a 20cm x 20cm tin or a mould of your choice. The dough should be a minimum of 2cms thick. I like to use
• Prick with a fork.
• Bake for 12-30 minutes-depending on the size of your moulds or using a tin. You're looking for a slight golden brown colour at the edges.
• Remove from oven, let cool then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
• Mix icing sugar, and elderflower cordial together to your preferred consistency and decorate the shortbread.

Options & Freezing

• You can make these with just Plain Flour, or the mix of Plain and Rice flour I mention above, or just Rice flour. You can use either White Rice Flour or Brown Rice Flour. The Brown Rice gives a bit more depth.
• Replace the ginger with Lavender and the Elderflower with Rose Water.
  How about a dollop of homemade Lemon and Lime Curd to replace, or even add on top of the glaze?
  Around Christmas Time I make these with my homemade (no suet) Mincemeat.
• You can add edible flowers on top of the icing to prettify them more. Just let the glace set a little first.
• How about serving with a homemade Cordial? I have a recipe for Elderflower and Rose Cordial which tastes just like summer!
• Store in an airtight container and eat within five days.
• Shortbread freezes very well. In a freezer-proof container, place shortbread between in rows between greaseproof sheets. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, or at room temperature.

Nutrition Per Serving (Making 24 mini shortbread treats)

Calories: ~137 kcal
Carbohydrates: ~16 g carbs
Fat: ~7 g fat
Protein: ~1 g