Shortbread

Whenever I buy a lottery ticket there are three things that happen without fail every time. I don’t have my own numbers as I couldn’t bare it if I missed a week and they were picked, so instead I always ops for a lucky dip. The first thing I do when handed my ticket is check if the numbers are “good”, which is pure ignorance when you think of it as there is no such thing as a “good” number when they all have an equal chance. Nevertheless, I like to see an even distribution, none of this 22,23,24 business.

If satisfied with my selection, I start spending. Yes OKAY I am aware of my odds, but somebody has to be that 1 amongst the 14 million and you never know that one person could well be me. It’s with this little prep talk that I begin deciding which cities I will buy property, where my first holiday will be and who I’m giving some money to. Before I know I’ve spent half of my winnings and I know right there and then that I’m destined to be a millionaire.

Then comes the third. The numbers are drawn with not one single match and all my plans and dreams are left torn on the floor.

And that’s my tragic little story.

So until that lucky day comes, instead of winning millions you will find me baking it instead with these deliciously rich Millionaire Shortbread Macarons. And let me tell you, they taste as good as I’ve always imagined being a millionaire feels.

These Macarons are made by sandwiching both chocolate and vanilla macrons together, with a generous dollop of salted caramel ganache. Heavenly!

Makes 15-20 Macarons

Preparation Time: 1-2 hours

Baking Time: 10-15 minutes

For Vanilla Macarons

200g Ground Almonds

200g Icing Sugar

2 Medium Egg Whites

Pinch of Salt

55g Caster Sugar

2 drops vanilla essence

For Chocolate Shortbread Macarons

Same as above but substitute Vanilla Essence for Coco Powder

1 shortbread biscuit, crumbled

For Salted Caramel Ganache

75g Caster Sugar

2 tbsp Water

75g Light Muscovado Sugar

50g Unsalted Butter

100ml Double Cream

1/2tsp Flaked Salt

To make a basic macaron mixture, begin by sieving the ground almonds and icing sugar together until well combined.

For Chocolate Macarons mix the coco powder into the almond/icing combo.

In a super clean bowl pour in the egg whites and salt and whisk together until they hold soft peaks. Continue to whisk at a medium speed while adding the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time.

For vanilla flavouring, add the vanilla essence at this point.

Beat on a medium speed for 2 minutes then increase to high for a final 2 minutes until the egg whites are holding stiff, glossy peaks.

Pour in the almond/sugar mixture all at once then using a spatula slowly fold in the egg whites from the bottom up. Continue this motion around 35-40 times until the mixture is fully incorporated and flows like molten lava.

Using a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle, pipe rounds of mixture onto 2 heavy baking trays lined with baking parchment. Tap the trays on the work surface to remove any air bubbles, then leave them to dry for 30 minutes. They will be ready to bake when they are no longer sticky or wet when touched.

For the Chocolate Shortbread Macarons, while the rounds are still wet sprinkle crushed shortbread over the top.

Preheat the oven to 140-150 degrees/Gas Mark 2 and bake on the middle shelf for 8 minutes. Open the oven to let out any steam and turn the sheets around then bake for a further 8 minutes until the tops are crisp. Leave them to cool fully before removing from the baking sheet.

For the Salted Caramel Ganache: Put the caster sugar and water into a pan and simmer over a low heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to the boil until it turns to an amber colour, then remove from the heat and add the muscovado sugar, butter and cream. Stir it well to dissolve then return to the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until it thickens. Take off the heat and add the salt then pour into a bowl and leave until completely cold and thick.

Spread the filling over the vanilla macaron shell and sandwich with the chocolate shells so they are on top.

Leave to rest then see how long you can make them last. We managed a little over an hour!

To be tenacious you are defined as “somebody who sticks firmly to any decision, plan, or opinion without changing or doubting it”. Synonyms include, “determined” which I like to think is one of my positive traits. Once I have my heart set on something I will give my all to accomplish it, and it’s usually very hard to persuade me otherwise. On the opposite scale, this can also become stubbornness

I’m forever walking the fine line between both traits and am working on mastering the perfect balance. I’m now someone who is willing to accept the slight change in plan, but only within reason. What? I did say I was still working on it.

So why am I revealing this? Well these shortbreads were meant to be Lavender and Poppy Seed, but it was only as I collected the ingredients for these that I remembered Lavender isn’t in season until April. There’s nothing wrong with Lemon and Poppy Seed, they taste delicious, but I wanted Lavender. I was excited about Lavender. Lemon and Poppy Seed didn’t fill me with the same enthusiasm.

As it turns out, they were a pretty good move as no sooner had they been baked, they were gone. I like to think of these though as my practice round for when we hit lavender season.

Unfortunately, unless you’re Mary Berry, Delia Smith or Paul Hollywood, not every bake can be perfect and the one mistake I made with these was in how I cut them pre-bake. I’d overlooked the fact that they would spread out as the butter and sugar melted in the oven and in doing so cut them to the size I wanted post-bake.

As the poor soldiers (I cut them into soldier shapes) swell across the baking tray, that Mary Berry glare and Paul Hollywood’s smirk entered my mind. I almost threw them away, but after all the efforts I’d gone to the least I could do was taste them. They wouldn’t have won any awards for presentation but considering how quickly they were gobbled, they certainly made up for it in taste. “Like one of those Scottish biscuits you get in the tin at Christmas” were the words that came out of my boyfriend Liam’s mouth. Thank you darling, I’ll take that!

Adapted from Paul Hollywood’s Buttery Shortbread recipe

Makes 20

Prep time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 15 – 20 minutes

225g butter, softened

110g caster sugar

270g plain flour

Zest of a whole lemon

2 tbsp poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees/375F/Gas 5 and beat the butter and sugar into a bowl until smooth and fluffy.

Stir in the flour and mix together until all combined, then tip onto a lightly floured surface and add the zest and poppy seeds. Knead until both have been evenly incorporated and the dough is soft.

Roll the dough out to a square of about 2cm in thickness (or thicker depending how thick you want your shortbread) and cut into soldiers or whatever shapes you like. Remember that they will swell slightly in the oven. Prick the shapes with a fork and put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Once firm, sprinkle them with sugar and bake in the oven for 15-20, or until the edges are turning golden brown. Leave on the baking tray for a few minutes to firm up and transfer to a wire rack so they can cool.

Best eaten with a cup of tea and they will keep in an air tight container for at least a 5 days.