One of my favorite treats to have during the holidays is one that I can
enjoy with a hot cup of tea. These traditional Scottish shortbread
finger biscuits are one of those favorites of mine. I come back to the
same recipe year after year, but this time I decided to try something
new. Going on a tip from a Scottish woman to use a portion of rice
flour for a more tender cookie, I instead decided to use garbanzo bean
flour.
I've been meaning to use garbanzo bean flour ever since I
purchased a package some time ago. I had intended to use it for making
Besan Ladoo, an Indian sweet made from gram flour, which is their name
for garbanzo bean or chick pea flour. I haven't had the chance to make
that sweet yet, but I took the opportunity to use the flour for the
first time. It turned out to be a very good idea. I achieved a much
more tender cookie than what I've made in the past. And to gild the
lily a bit, I dipped a third of each finger in melted semisweet
chocolate and then sprinkled it with chopped pistachios. I must say
they turned out great.
Shortbread Finger Biscuits
1-1/3 cups (2 sticks and 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus 2 tablespoons for pan
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
In
a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter,
sugar, salt, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add
flours a little at a time on low speed, and mix until combined.
Turn
out dough into the prepared pan. Using a sheet of plastic wrap, press
until dough reaches edges and smooth evenly with a spatula before
removing wrap. Using a ruler, measure and cut crosswise every 1 inch
and lengthwise every 3 inches, forming 36 1-by-3-inch finger-size
biscuits. Score tops with the tines of a fork.
Bake for about 80
minutes or until edges are pale to lightly golden. While still slightly
warm, retrace biscuits with a sharp serrated knife. Let cool
completely. Shortbread can be stored in a sealed container for up to a
month. Yield: 36 biscuits.
Joseph Erdos is a New York–based writer and editor, but above all a gastronomer and oenophile. He shares his passion for food on his blog, Gastronomer's Guide , which features unique recipes and restaurant reviews among many other musings on the all-encompassing topic of food.