Traditional Sprouted Flour Shortbread Recipe

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Shortbread is a traditional Scottish type of cake that is very rich in butter and this traditional sprouted flour shortbread recipe is not the exception. A good traditional butter is very beneficial to our health so we should not be afraid of it! Yes, butter is fat and fat is what makes us fat but you are probably aware of the concept of good fat and bad fat. Fat from grass-fed butter (the healthiest type of butter!) is so much better than fat from a typical fast food meal. Not to mention that we literally cannot function without fat – it’s just as necessary as proteins and carbohydrates. What really makes us fat is eating too many fatty foods, not the exitance of fat itself.

This sprouted flour shortbread is a very good and very delicious way of incorporating some of that healthy fat in your diet. It’s both delicate and crumbly at the same time and you can really feel how it melts in your mouth due to high butter content. The additional flavors that come from maple sugar and vanilla extract serve as a finishing touch to this already perfect snack.

Sprouted Flour Shortbread With High Quality Butter

Did you know that a good quality butter is a great source of vitamins, too? Butter has a high content of vitamin A. The other name for vitamin A is retinol and you might have heard that name before because it’s an ingredient of many highly effective skincare products. Yes, one of the functions of vitamin A is to keep our skin healthy and glowing. Vitamin D and vitamin K which are also found in butter work together to keep our bones and teeth strong.

Are you worried about grains in shortbread? There is no need to be. Some diets will tell you that eating grains is the worst thing you can possibly do for your nutrition but it is simply not true. Grains, especially whole grains, are needed in a healthy diet. People before us ate grains all their lives and no one complained of grain indigestion. Our bodies are biologically accustomed to eating them.

Yes, there is a small group of people who have diseases like celiac disease and these people should avoid grains. But for the rest of us can enjoy grains all we want! We just need to remember about two things: 1. the grains need to be whole and well-prepared (preferably soaked, sprout, or similar). 2. our metabolism process needs to be working at high levels to properly digest grains. We don’t have a problem with rampant gluten intolerance, we have a problem with weak digestive systems due to years of unhealthy eating habits.

Sprouted flour shortbread

Necessary equipment:

  • measuring cups and spoons
  • a pastry blender
  • a large mixing bowl
  • a baking tray
  • a sharp knife (how to sharpen a knife)
  • a spatula

Ingredients:

*this makes about 9 shortbread squares

  • 1 cup + 2 T. of sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
  • 2 T. of arrowroot powder (can be substituted with rice flour)
  • ½ cup of maple sugar OR whole cane sugar
  • ½ cup of cold butter (1 stick)
  • ½ t. of sea salt
  • ½ t. of vanilla extract

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Whisk the sprouted flour, maple sugar, arrowroot powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Cut the cold butter into small pieces
  4. Add the butter and vanilla extract to the bowl.
  5. Combine the ingredients using a pastry blender or just knead with your hands. Do it until you can see small crumbs and the dough sticks together.
  6. Layer the dough on a small baking tray (eg. 8×8) and cut the dough into 9 even squares. You can also you a round pie plate and cut the dough into 8 wedges. Don’t separate the cut dough, it’s normal for shortbread pieces to touch while baking.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes. Check to see if the shortbread center is dry and remove from the oven.
  8. Cut the pieces (squares or wedges) of shortbread again.
  9. Let cool completely.
  10. Remove each piece carefully with a spatula.

Enjoy your traditional shortbread with plenty of butter!

Extra: I went grain-free for short time to calm down my digestive system and I managed to come up with a recipe for delicious shortbread with honey. You can also find another yummy shortbread recipe for Salted Caramel-Dipped Shortbread Bars. Yes, I really do love shortbread.

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