Dried hibiscus, infused into the dough of these buttery, speckled treats, adds hints of natural floral notes to enrich a basic confection into an elevated sweet. Pictured with our Chocolate-Walnut Brownies and Blueberry-Blackberry Cakes with Honeyed Whipped Cream.
Hibiscus Shortbread
Serves: approximately 64
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour*
- 2 tablespoons organic dried hibiscus**
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Line several rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and creamy, approximately 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, hibiscus, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until dough comes together.
- Place half of dough between 2 wax paper sheets. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a 1⁄4-inch thickness. Transfer dough and wax paper to another rimmed baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Working with one portion of dough at a time, remove dough from freezer and remove wax paper. Using a 1 7⁄8-inch fluted round cutter dipped in flour, cut as many rounds as possible from each chilled dough portion, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place rounds 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Freeze again for 15 minutes.
- Bake shortbread until edges are very lightly golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer shortbread to a wire rack and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.
Notes
*Whisk flour in container and measure by the spoon-and-level method.
**This is often called “hibiscus tea.” If using loose leaf, grind hibiscus in a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. If using tea bags, cut tea bag open, and use hibiscus as is.
**This is often called “hibiscus tea.” If using loose leaf, grind hibiscus in a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground. If using tea bags, cut tea bag open, and use hibiscus as is.
