Snowy Hills (Lemon and Ginger Shortbread) Recipe
As I write these recipes I realise how many of our gluten free cakes are inspired by rambles in the countryside.
The baking powder in this recipe needs to be sandwiched’ between the other dry ingredients to prevent it from reacting with the lemon juice, which can cause the mixture to separate.
This recipe is adapted from the award winning Snowy Hills / Lemon & Ginger Shortbread cakes we bake and sell.
makes:15 pieces
health: gluten-free
cook: 40 minutes for the base
store: 5 days in airtight tin. Freezes well
compost: eggshells, spare lemon
Polenta shortbread base, made with 1 tbsp ground ginger
2 eggs
125 g/4½ oz/1¼ cups ground almonds
140 g/5 oz/scant ¾ cup brown vanilla sugar
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
85 g/3 oz/scant ¾ cup polenta
4 tbsp good-quality lemon curd
grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon oil
140 g/5 oz/scant ¾ cup butter, melted
Light brown sugar, for sprinkling
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Prepare and bake the polenta shortbread base, adding the ground ginger to the mixture.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the almonds, sugar, baking powder, polenta and 1 tbsp of the lemon curd.
Mix the lemon zest, juice and oil with the melted butter and then add it to the egg-and-almond mixture. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until smooth.
Once the shortbread base has cooled, spread the remaining 3 tbsp lemon curd evenly over it. Spoon the cake mixture on top of the curd, spreading it evenly and being careful not to mix it with the curd. Bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown and the surface springs back when pressed with your fingertips.
Leave in the tin to cool completely. Sprinkle the top of the cake with brown sugar, then slide it out of the tin and cut into pieces.
Make it go further…
Serve warm, with ice cream on the side.
Taken from the Honeybuns Gluten-Free Baking Book by Emma Goss-Custard, published by Pavilion. Recipe photography Cristian Barnett.
