Being half American, many of my traditional family Christmas recipes are cold weather foods. There are a few exceptions (like my Mum’s famous pasta salad), but I am just starting to harvest an increasing number of summer fruit and veggies with no way of using them in our Christmas festivities.
So today I thought I’d start adapting some traditional recipes to incorporate Australian seasonal ingredients.
My two blueberry bushes are in their first year. I know you aren’t supposed to let them fruit so early, but I did. We’ve been picking fruit here and there for several weeks, but they just keep coming. The recent cold snap has even fooled them into flowering again!
I thought I might pick the remaining ripe fruit and use them in some shortbread.
I used the normal recipe that I use each year, adapted it slightly for the ingredients I had on hand, and added some blueberries.
Blueberry Shortbread
- 250g butter, softened
- 1 handful of blueberries -large ones quartered, medium halved, small ones whole.
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 cup tapioca starch/flour (you can use cornflour)
- 1 cup pure icing sugar
Preheat oven to 160 degrees
Beat butter until light and fluffy, then slowly add the sifted icing sugar until combined.
Slowly add the remaining dry ingredients
Turn out onto a bench and incorporate the blueberries, keading gently – just enough to bring the dough together.
Unbaked shortbread dough, pressed into pan
Line a slice tray with baking paper, place mixture in the tray until and spread out evenly.
Poke the mixture decoratively with a fork or toothpick and sprinkle some sugar over the top.
Place in oven and bake for 45 minutes until lightly browned.
The results were really good – the flavour is lovely and complements the shortbread well. I might be tempted to add a little lemon zest next time too.
I might try to continue this to use more freshly-grown produce unconventionally in my Christmas recipes. Anyone want to join me?
Blueberry shortbread
500m2 in Sydney 