Dark Days challenge for this week involved making something sweet. Trying to stick to local ingredients pretty much rules out refined sugar and chocolate, which pretty much rules out a lot of sweet things. After much deliberation, I decided to make a shortbread, using honey in place of sugar. Shortbread is super easy – just butter, flour, and sugar (in this case honey). I have some canned fruits, so I probably could have made some kind of little tart that’s a little more exciting, but easy sounded good to me. It’s simple to make, but addictive, with a sweet, buttery flavor. To liven it up a bit, I also mixed up a quick batch of fresh whipped cream (to which I added just a little maple syrup) and broke out a jar of the cherry butter that I canned in the summer.
Honey Shortbread
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
2 1/4 cups flour
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and honey until creamy. Add the flour, about a cup at a time, and mix until crumbly.
Press the mixture into a pie dish or other 9-inch round pan, score the surface with a knife (to make sections that will easily break off when it’s baked), and bake for about 30-35 minutes at 300 F. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack or plate, break apart, and enjoy. That’s it.
Nothing glamorous, but also nothing that will leave you sick from being too sweet. A nice after-dinner snack to follow the excellent cream of mushroom soup that S made.
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