Original recipe of the week: Rhubarb and Ginger Scottish Shortbread

This Saturday is Burns Night – Scotland’s annual celebration of the life and works of their national poet, Robert Burns. With this in mind, what better way to give a nod to the man than by baking the country’s much-loved sweet treat, shortbread. We’ve added rhubarb and ginger to ours, but feel free to experiment with your own flavours.

Rhubarb and Ginger Scottish Shortbread

Serves: 8-10
Cooking time: 1 hour

What you will need:

2 stalks of rhubarb (washed and cut into small chunks)
200g plain flour
100g butter (cubed)
100g golden caster sugar (plus extra for dusting)
½ cup of water
1 tsp ground ginger

What you need to do:

1. Put the rhubarb, 50g sugar and water into a saucepan and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until it starts to turn to a jam-like consistency. When all of the rhubarb has softened completely and you can no longer see the chunks, remove from the heat.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C. Next, mix together the rest of the sugar and the flour in a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Rub the two parts between your thumb and fingers until the mixture looks like breadcrumb and set aside.
3. Pour the cooked rhubarb into a sieve over a bowl and using a wooden spoon, sieve the rhubarb until all of the mixture has passed through and you are left with a smooth purée.
4. Add the purée and ground ginger into the flour and butter mixture, mixing thoroughly and then tip into a greased baking tray (I used a round one, about 20cm diameter). Flatten the mixture using the back of a spoon until it’s compact. Score the surface of the shortbread into pieces and lightly prick all over with a fork.
5. Sprinkle with the remainder of the caster sugar and put in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes or until it’s a light golden colour. Allow to cool in the tin and then cut into pieces to enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

Laura McLeish