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+ servings
Jeera Shortbread in plate on tray with Masala Chai

Jeera Shortbread

Safira
The most delicious, fragrant, buttery Jeera Shortbread that is sweet, salty, crumbly and crispy. Perfect with a cup of Masala Chai. 
5 from 7 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Baking
Cuisine Indian
Servings 18

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
  • 115 g Butter At room temperature
  • 40 g Icing Sugar
  • 140 g Plain Flour

Instructions
 

  • Add the Cumin Seeds to a dry pan and toast gently on medium/low for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  • Mix the butter and icing sugar together in a large bowl.
  • Add the flour and cumin to the bowl. Use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball of dough but don't over handle!
  • Roll roughly into a log shape, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and line a oven tray with baking paper.
  • Remove from the fridge and cut into rounds, then place on the tray.
  • Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until edges are very light golden and most of the surface is still pale gold.

Notes

  • Rice flour or fine semolina are thought to make the shortbread a little more tender. If you think you might over work the dough a little, I would replace some of the flour with rice flour but otherwise I don't think rice flour makes a huge difference. 
  • Recipes using cornflour, suggest that it gives a nice melt in your mouth texture and it does but I prefer my shortbread without it. You can replace some of the plain flour in this recipe with it though.
  • I like to use icing sugar in shortbread because the grains are finer so you get a smoother finish on the surface. Also icing sugar is about 1/2 the sweetness of sugar by volume.  The icing sugar can be caster or golden caster sugar.
  • Cumin Seeds can burn very quickly so keep a close eye on them and remove them off the stove when they become fragrant.
  • There are a few different methods you can adopt when making shortbread. You can use a food processor, you can rub the butter into the flour, you can cream the butter first etc. In this recipe I cream the butter and sugar together first and then add the flour. You can of course try the other methods if you wish.
  • Total time is based on baking time only. 
Keyword Afternoon Tea, Chai Nashta, Chai Paani, Indian Food, Indian Masala Chai, Indian Snacks, Indian Tea, Jeera Shortbread, Masala Chai
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