Almond Rye Shortbread with Whisky Raspberry Cream
Recipe for crumbly, chewy almond rye shortbread with a robust but delicious flavour. Unusually, but as the name suggests, this shortbread is made from rye flour and ground almonds. It’s also flavoured with cardamom, although that bit is optional. Tart raspberry cream with whisky compliments it wonderfully well.
The Canteen, Cornwall
Last week, CT and I were somewhat shocked to find we’d been together for twenty years. How did that happen? To celebrate we both took the day off and went clambering around the Cornish coast. We also called in at the Canteen at Maker Heights.
How could we resist the best food in those parts? There, sitting on the counter was a round of almond rye shortbread. Completely intrigued, I had to recreate it.
The Canteen up on the hill at Maker Heights is a recent discovery for us. We’ve both been incredibly impressed. It’s not a vegetarian establishment, but it offers some of the best vegetarian cuisine I’ve ever tasted. The menu is imaginative and the flavours are complex. Unusually, it’s based in a couple of old army nissen huts and has stunning views out over Cawsand Bay.
We arrived in time to take advantage of the breakfast menu. CT went for a full English and I had possibly the best veggie breakfast I’ve ever eaten. It had roasted shallots, leek tempera and hispi cabbage to accompany the more usual eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes and toast. Less usually, the eggs were poached and the toast was sourdough.
Almond and Cardamom Rye Shortbread with Whisky Raspberry Cream
I often grind my own almonds when baking. This gives a fresher and tastier result with a more interesting texture. This almond and cardamom rye shortbread was one of those occasions. I went with a mix of half rye flour to half ground almonds and used the classic shortbread measures of three sixths flour, two sixths butter and one sixth sugar.
Cardamom seemed like the right thing to add somehow and I was absolutely right. Annoyingly I left it in the oven too long, so it was a little darker than I’d have liked. I’ve adjusted the baking time in the recipe so that this doesn’t happen to you.
Despite being a little overdone, the almond rye shortbread was totally scrumptious, being buttery and crumbly, but also slightly chewy. The variations in the size of the nut pieces made for a great texture and the cardamom flavour was noticeable, but only just. It went beautifully with some Cornish raspberries, half of which I used to make an accompanying whisky raspberry cream.
Other Sweet Bakes Using Rye You Might Like
- Blackcurrant and rose nonnettes
- Caramelised banana, coconut, chocolate & peanut butter cake
- Cinnamon honey Christmas stars
- Henk’s chocolate nut cakes
- Rhubarb and rose honey cakes
- Rye bread and blackcurrant cake
- Spelt, rye and berry cookies
Almond Rye Shortbread. PIN IT.
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this almond rye shortbread, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate it. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more shortbread recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Almond Rye Shortbread – The Recipe
Almond Rye Shortbread with Whisky Raspberry Cream
Ingredients
Rye Shortbread
- 120 g ground almonds (4.5 oz) (I ground up whole almonds)
- 120 g wholemeal rye flour (4.5 oz)
- 160 g unsalted butter (6 oz)
- 80 g golden caster sugar (3 oz) (I used cardamom sugar)
- 3 cardamom pods (optional) seeds extracted and ground in a pestle and mortar
- 1 pinch salt (I used Himalayan pink rock salt)
Whisky Raspberry Cream
- 200 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 1 punnet raspberries
- 1 tbsp whisky
Instructions
Rye Shortbread
- Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (putting 1 tsp of the sugar to one side). Cut in the butter, then rub it in between fingers until most of the buttery lumps have disappeared.120 g ground almonds, 120 g wholemeal rye flour, 160 g unsalted butter, 80 g golden caster sugar, 3 cardamom pods, 1 pinch salt
- Bring the mixture together into a ball and then press into an 20 cm (8″) greased tin.
- Bake in the centre of the oven at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 20 minutes.
- Cut into 8 triangles, then sprinkle the reserved tsp of sugar over the top.
Whisky Raspberry Cream
- Whisk the double cream and whisky until just holding its shape.200 ml double cream (heavy cream), 1 tbsp whisky
- Roughly mash in the raspberries, saving a few for decoration.1 punnet raspberries
- Serve on top or beside the shortbread.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Linkies
This rye shortbread with accompanying whisky raspberry cream goes to Jac over at Tinned Tomatoes for Meat Free Mondays.
20 years? Wow! Congratulations to both of you.
That breakfast looks to die for!
And the shortbread sounds darn good as well…. Mind you, I think I may have to eat a whole dish of the cream on its own!
Hehe Kate, you are a woman after my own heart 😀
I baked this shortbread yesterday. It has indeed a lovely taste and texture. Even on its own it is delicious. Very easy to make ! It is not always easy to use rye flour in sweet bakes I find, but this one is just right.
Hooray Henk. Thanks for the feedback. But don’t tell me you made one of my recipes without making any changes at all?
Yes, for the first time I didn’t change anything at all 🙂
Astonishing 😉
Your shortbread looks delicious and really beautiful – love the sound of that breakfast too – and
Thanks Johanna. It’s quite fun making well known recipes but giving them a bit of a twist. It’s probably just as well the Canteen isn’t closer, or it would be too tempting.
Choclette, your shortbread looks utterly fabulous. Thick and brown and crumbly looking and it looks like it’s got some real texture. Really excited by this!
Thanks poppy, the shortbread was a great success, even though I did overdo it a little bit.
This is something I’d like to try. I have never tried to combine rye and almonds before and I’m curious about both taste and structure. Not sure about the rye together with the raspberries, but who knows …..
Raspberries and oats is a classic combination and as rye is a northern grain, I thought it might go well – and it did 🙂
Oh nice Choclette. I always love a slice of homemade shortbread.
Thanks Jac. Me too, especially with cream, raspberries and Scottish whisky 😉
That shortbread looks amazing and the cream just takes it over the edge! I’ll have to look out for rye flour and give this a go. YUM!
Thanks Helen. Rye flour works a lot better in bakes than you’d think. Do give it a try and let me know how you found it.
I don’t know where to start with this post – leek tempura with breakfast?! Heaven! And your shortbread looks amazing, and I’m drooling over the cream!!
It really was a fabulous breakfast. Just as well for my purse that the Canteen is not on my doorstep. Shortbread is a firm favourite here, but it was good to try something a bit different.
ahhh congratulations… but whiskey raspberry cream… um HELLO!!!!!!!
Thanks Dom. Yes the cream, raspberry and whisky combination is a good one as all cranachan fans will testify 😉
Congratulations on 20 years – that is very impressive. This shortbread looks like a great way to celebrate and it’s always a pleasure to stumble across unexpectedly good vegetarian food.
Thanks Kari, it all feels a bit unreal. How did we get this old? Shortbread helps.
Congratulations! Yes, GL and I were shocked to discover that we too have been together for 20 years, can’t quite believe it… Glad you were able to celebrate, sounds like a lovely day and the shortbread looks delicious!
Congratulations to you too Katharine. Where does the time go?
This looks absolutely yummy Lucy! I love that you’ve been inspired by something in a cafe and made it at home x
Thanks Kerry. I’ve only ever tried bakes made with rye flour if they’ve been made by me, so I got very excited when I saw this. Who’s Lucy BTW?
Awesome! I love that you made this with wholegrain rye and that raspberry whipped cream makes it even more special. Excellent, Choclette.
Thanks Angie. I’m not sure I’d ever have thought about using rye in shortbread if I hadn’t seen it at The Canteen. Happily I did 🙂