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This is the perfect autumn twist on classic Scottish shortbread. Made with all vegan ingredients, packed with bursting orange flavour, decadent dark chocolate and salty roast pistachios. These biscuits are buttery soft and perfectly crumbly! Make sure you give this recipe a go over the cosy season, and add this shortbread to your afternoon tea biscuit stack. Thank me later!
These are the most perfect biscuit for cold weather. They take less than 15 minutes to make, and only 30 minutes to bake. Shortbread is the OFFICIAL tea dunker biscuit, made specially in a dunk friendly shape, with holes on the surface to absorb your warm tea!
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Equipment needed:
- Large mixing bowl
- Fork / pastry cutter
- Wooden spoon / spatula
- Measuring cups / kitchen scales
- Square baking pan (brownie tin)
- Measuring spoons
Ingredient notes:
- Flour ~ be sure to use plain flour for biscuits.
- Vegan butter ~ block butter will work best, preferably flora.
- Vanilla ~ make sure to use a high quality vanilla extract/paste.
- Salt ~ this will enhance the flavour of your bake.
- Orange extract ~ use a highly flavoured extract.
- Orange zest ~ this will create a vibrant orange flavour.
- Vegan chocolate ~ you can use dark, “milk”, or use my own homemade chocolate recipe.
- Pistachios ~ I recommend using roasted (salted if preferred).
- FOR THE SHORTBREAD
- pre-heat your oven to 180c (conventional oven) / 160c (fan oven).
- line a square tin with parchment paper and set aside.
- to a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest, rub together until the sugar is pale orange and fragrant.
- in a large mixing bowl, add plain flour, salt and orange sugar.
- whisk until fully combined.
- add in cold vegan butter (preferably cubed), vanilla and orange extract.
- crumble together with a fork until the texture similar to wet sand.
- add the mixture to the tin and flatten with either a pallet knife, spatula or hand.
- score 12 equal size shortbread bars into the tin and press holes into each bar with a fork.
- bake for 30 minutes on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven until golden.
- cut into bars while warm (for ease), and let cool completely in the tin before decorating with chocolate and pistachios.
- FOR THE HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE (optional)
- you can use this easy homemade chocolate recipe for the topping or normal vegan store-bought.
- place a pan of water over stovetop with a glass bowl sitting on the top (make sure the water does not touch the bowl).
- add cocoa butter (or coconut oil), to the bowl and let melt completely.
- add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract (hazelnut extract if desired).
- whisk until fully combined and smooth with the texture of melted chocolate.
- use this to decorate the shortbread, and transfer any extra to a lined dish to set into a chocolate bar.
- sprinkle pistachios and flaky salt (only if using non salted pistachios) over the shortbread and enjoy!
Shortbread first originated in Scotland, sometime during the 12th century. We can not date back to the exact date of when shortbread was first made, and the invention of them is often attributed to Mary, the Queen of Scott’s during the 16th century.
Shortbreads are one of Scotland’s statement foods along with scones, fruit cakes, pancakes and oatcakes. A classic shortbread typically consists of flour, sugar, salt, butter and vanilla. Some of them also contain small chocolate chunks like this one.
The invention of shortbread begins with something called ‘biscuit bread’ created in medieval times. Any leftover dough from this bread being made was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a rusk type structure. Gradually, the yeast in these were replaced by butter, and eventually biscuit bread developed into shortbread as we know it today. The word ‘biscuit’ actually means ‘twice cooked’.
When shortbread was fairly new to people, it was considered a luxury for working-class people and was reserved for special occasions like weddings, new years, Christmas, etc.
Vegan chocolate orange pistachio shortbread
prep time: 15 mins / serves: 12 / cook time: 30 mins
ingredients:
- SHORTBREAD
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup vegan butter (cold, cubed)*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp orange extract
- vegan chocolate* + roasted pistachios for decoration
- HOMEMADE VEGAN CHOCOLATE RECIPE (optional)
- 1/2 cup cocoa butter / coconut oil*
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (adjust to your taste)*
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp hazelnut extract (optional)*
Method:
- Pre-heat your oven to 180c (conventional oven) / 160c (fan oven)
- Line a square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- To a small bowl, add the sugar and orange zest, rub together until the sugar is pale orange and fragrant.
- in a large mixing bowl, add plain flour, salt and orange sugar.
- whisk until fully combined.
- add in cold vegan butter (preferably cubed), vanilla and orange extract.
- crumble together with a fork until the texture similar to wet sand.
- add the mixture to the tin and flatten with either a pallet knife, spatula or hand.
- score 12 equal size shortbread bars into the tin and press holes into each bar with a fork.
- bake for 30 minutes on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven until golden.
- cut into bars while warm (for ease), and let cool completely in the tin before decorating with chocolate and pistachios.
- If you want, you can make your own vegan chocolate instead of using store-bought.
- To a bowl over a pan of boiling water, add cocoa butter or coconut oil.
- Melt fully before adding cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt and extracts.
- Whisk until fully smooth and the consistency is like melted chocolate.
- This can be used to decorate the biscuits, any extra can be placed into a lined dish to set and be used as regular chocolate.
- ENJOY!
NOTES
- *i recommend using high quality vegan butter for the best flavour.
- *alternatively, use my home-made vegan chocolate recipe.
- *cocoa butter works best but coconut oil will also work.
- *the amount of sugar will depend on your taste, i prefer slightly dark.
- *hazelnut extract is optional but adds great depth of flavour.
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