November can get a bit gloomy, so let's bring some comfort and magic to our day with a cosy baking session.
Hello, dear friends, and welcome to a new blog post!
Today, I’m sharing a delightful recipe for vegan shortbread biscuits, inspired by the Cottage Academia aesthetic. These biscuits, shaped like tea bags and books, and dipped in chocolate, are a charming treat to accompany your favourite book, movie or simply a warm cup of tea.
If you want to discover more about Cottage Academia, read this blog post:
Ingredients
1 cup vegan butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegan chocolate for dipping (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Making the Shortbread Dough
In a bowl, cream together the vegan butter and powdered sugar until smooth.
Add the vanilla extract and salt, then gradually mix in the flour until the dough comes together.
Shaping the Biscuits
Roll out the dough to about 1cm (0.4 inches) thick, and cut it into tea bag shapes and rectangles (for the book pages).
Tea Bags
To create tea bag shapes, start by cutting out a rectangle from the dough. Then, trim the top two corners to form the traditional tea bag shape, or you can directly cut the dough into the desired shape from the start. Use a straw or a similar tool to carefully punch a small hole near the top to thread the twine later.
Books
For each book-shaped biscuit, cut two to three rectangles from the dough. Ensure they are of the same height but vary slightly in length to give the layered look of an open book. Stack the rectangles on top of each other and gently press in the middle to create the book’s joint. To add extra detail, you can use the edge of a knife or a toothpick to lightly score lines, mimicking the appearance of text on the pages.
Baking and Decorating
Arrange the biscuits on the baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Once cooled, dip each biscuit in melted vegan chocolate, if desired, and let it set. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave in short intervals, stirring until smooth.
Tea Bags
Once the chocolate is ready, dip each tea bag biscuit halfway into the chocolate, allowing it to coat the lower half. This creates the look of "tea" inside the bag. Place the dipped biscuits on a sheet of parchment paper and let the chocolate set completely before adding the twine.
Books
For the book-shaped biscuits, dip just the outer layer into the melted chocolate, covering the "cover" of the book. This gives the illusion of a book jacket while leaving the "pages" exposed. Set the chocolate-covered biscuits on parchment paper to cool and allow the chocolate to harden fully before serving or storing.
Happy baking!
With love,
Indoora
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