Wild Craft of the Month - Dandelion Shortbread

Dandelion Shortbread

The garden is full of Dandelions and how lovely to find a way to enjoy the cheerful golden flowers. Dandelion Shortbread cookies are very simple to make and taste like Heaven. The flavour is delicate yet warming, and it is beautiful medicine to go out a gather a few Dandelion flowers, and make these cookies for tea. They would go very well with poached Rhubarb and Strawberry compote too.

Heat the oven to mk4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Ingredients ~

1 cup of vegan butter

½ cup of sugar

Heaped ½ cup of Dandelion petals

2 ½ cups of white spelt flour

I pinch of salt

½ tsp vanilla essence

First prepare the Dandelion petals. Firmly hold the green base of theflower in between finger and thumb, then pinch the end of the petals together with the fingertips of the other hand and pull firmly, they should come off in one clump. It doesn’t matter if there are few green sepals in with them. Pile them into your ½ cup measure.

With a hand mixer cream the butter and sugar together for 2 or 3 minutes until pale and creamy.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix again for about a minute.

It will look crumbly at this point, but work it together with your hands until a ball of dough is formed.

Roll out between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper ( or just fold over the one lining your tray) to about 1/4“ thick and cut out, this quantity makes about 9 shortbread cookies.

Bake in the oven gas 4 for 20 mins, they will be very pale golden with petals showing faintly through. Lift one with a palette knife to check the bottom is fully baked, and give another 5 mins if needed.

Cool, and store in a jar if there are any left.