This is a great combination making a delightful dessert for the end of a meal but where each component can be enjoyed separately or in other combinations. This dessert would be equally pleasing if the biscuits and ganache were paired with another acidic fruit compote or even fresh fruit such as macerated strawberries.
The shortbread is intentionally not too sweet because of the chocolate ganache and compote so dust with a little icing sugar if serving with coffee or simply add more sugar in their making.
I used an extra phenolic olive oil because its bitterness and pungency really suit the white chocolate and break some of its sweetness. You may also serve a dark chocolate ganache instead made with 150g of each dark chocolate and double cream.
I like to caramelise the milk powder in a dry frying pan remembering always how my grand father used to caramelise flour before using it to thicken sauces. I love the toasty flavour that it adds to the biscuits.
So, a great one to play with and have many shortbread biscuits to enjoy with your coffee too!
I used Shipton Mill’s cake and pastry organic flour but you can use any low protein flour you prefer.
Ingredients
For the shortbread biscuits (makes 25-35 depending on size and thickness)
- 200g unsalted butter
- 175g cake and pastry flour
- 25g corn flour
- 25g semi skimmed milk powder
- 55g caster sugar
- 1 lime, zest only
- 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
- Fleur de sel for sprinkling
For the white chocolate ganache (serves 6)
- 200g white chocolate drops
- 125g double cream
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp high phenolic extra virgin olive oil
For the kumquat compote (serves 6)
- 200g kumquat
- 100g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 30ml kumquat or orange liqueur
Method
Start by making the chocolate ganache as it needs to chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.
Put the cream and white chocolate drops in a bowl suitable for a microwave and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for a further 30 seconds and stir again. If there are some drops that have not melted, heat in 10 second bursts. Transfer to a bowl into the fridge to chill. When the time comes to serve, heat a spoon under hot water, wipe dry and use it to make a beautiful quenelle.
To make the shortbread, start by caramelising the milk powder in a dry frying pan, over medium heat stirring continuously as it can burn very easily. Leave to cool.
In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the lime zest, rosemary, flour, cornflour and milk and use your hands to make a dough. Do not overwork the dough. Transfer it onto a large piece of double clingfilm in the shape of a sausage and roll it to close twisting the ends to make it perfectly smooth and rounded. Place in the fridge to chill until hard. This could take up to 2 hours.
While the dough is chilling, make the kumquat compote.
Wash and cut the fruit into four pieces, remove the seeds and put in a saucepan. Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, liqueur and 100ml of water. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes until the fruit is cooked and beautifully caramelised.
Preheat the oven to 1400 C.
Cut the biscuit dough with a sharp knife after running the hot tap onto it and wiping it with a towel to ¾ – 1 cm thickness and lay on a lined baking tray leaving some distance between them. Bake the biscuits for 20-25 minutes or until golden. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle with some fleur de sel.
