Black Pepper & Cardamom Shortbread

Inspired by Eleanor Ford’s Black Pepper Shortbread these are quick becoming my go to for a quick sweet treat to impress. The key is ALL in the ingredients. Use cardamom pods as fresh as possible, freshly ground pepper and a really good quality wholewheat flour.

Ingredients

• 50g coconut sugar

• 100g salted butter

• 150g wholewheat flour (I love YQ if you can source it)

• ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground

• ½ tsp cardamom seeds, freshly ground

• Sea salt, for sprinkling

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160c fan

2. Cream the butter and sugar till combined but not fluffy

3. Mix in all the other ingredients, then bring together the dough with your hands

4. Using a round baking 20cm tin, cut a piece of baking paper to fit the inside of the tin. Place the dough on top of the baking paper and press gently (or use a rolling pin) until you have the dough to almost the edges of the tin, around 1.5cm thick

5. Gently shape the edges of the dough (either scalloping or leaving round) then score in the traditional petticoat design (I use the end of a chopstick for the circles)

6. Bake in the centre of the hot oven for 25 minutes, till slightly browned on top. Rescore whilst warm and leave to cool. Enjoy with company.