Tonight I had a sporadic desire to make shortbread...and this time, while I reached for the rosemary, I changed my mind. Simply because a few weeks ago I read a recipe from Karen Martini for sweet fennel and orange biscuits, and so I decided to take inspiration from that to make fennel seed shortbread instead. The fennel seeds are an awesome aniseed-y suprise when biting into the soft, sweet biscuit. Again it's an odd combination but really addictive.
So who knows what will come next... roast lamb shortbread, anyone?
Fennel Seed Shortbread
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour
pinch of salt
1/4 cup icing sugar
125g butter
3 tablespoons whole fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Sift together the flour, cornflour, salt, cinnamon and sugar into a bowl. Chop the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour mixture with fingertips until it is dispersed and the dough starts coming together in heavy lumps. Turn onto a board and knead lightly, don't worry if it crumbles instantly, this is a good! Press into a greased baking tray. Prick the surface with a fork and bake in a 160 degrees celsius oven for around 20-25 minutes until golden around the edges. The shortbread will harden when it comes out of the oven so don't go by feel on this one. Let to sit in tray for 10 minutes, slice up and cool on a rack. Then, enjoy.
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