Vegan Easter Shortbread
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I am starting this post on the complete opposite end of happy. And do you know why?
Becasue I couldn't find vegan mini eggs, anywhere. Nowhere to be seen.
Come on guys, it's 2018!
Even though I had to change my bake idea, I have still put together a fun bake for you to try, which I still completely love. Just look at all that colour.
I'm not going to tell you my initial idea because I'm going to tweak it a little and then share the recipe with you. For now, let's talk about these beautiful eggshaped colourful shortbread, coated with a layer of chocolate nests. YUM! Strange as it may seem, I came up with this idea while watching All Time Low live in London last week. Take it as you will. I made chocolate orange shortbread during blogmas, and I have been craving them ever since. I have stripped back the recipe and have kept it simple, but still as creamy and buttery as ever. I love to keep things in theme, so of course, I had to include colour... and a lot of it. Your mind does get slightly confused on whether these are edible or not as they do look like playdough, but one bite will convince you enough.
The process to give your shortbread its colour is super easy. Once you have dyed your dough your chosen colours, grab small balls from each colour and layer them up in your hand. Once all your dough is used up, place it on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough a little, but not too much as you don't want to over mix. Roll out your dough until its about 1cm thick and cut into your chosen shape. I didn't have an egg-shaped cookie cutter, so I just cut out the shape from greaseproof paper and cut out each egg carefully with a sharp knife. If you have a round metal cutter, you can mould that into an egg shape. Each biscuit will have a different colour combination and pattern, but what I love most is, (the unintentional) layers of colours you see in the middle.
You can't have shortbread without chocolate, and you can't have Easter without chocolate nests, so what better than layering your shortbread with the chocolate nest. You can completely cover, half cover, create a cracked egg look or dip. I tried a little of everything. Chocolate nests used to be all I ever wanted at Easter, and a quick tip, if you aren't vegan, (sorry), is to melt in Milkyway bars instead of just milk chocolate. GAME CHANGER!
With this recipe, I didn't really have a plan. I just made decisions as I went through each step. They might not be the most aesthetically pleasing looking Easter shortbread, but sometimes it doesn't have to be. Sometimes you just want to bake something that's simple and fun, and which taste amazing. Luckily, all those three factors fit in with this recipe.
VEGAN EASTER SHORTBREAD
This recipe makes 12 tasty shortbread cookies.- 1 cup dairy-free butter (I used Vialite spread)
- 1/2 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cup plain flour
- Food colouring gels CHOCOLATE NEST
- 150g dairy free milk chocolate
- 3 shredded wheat nests
INGREDIENTS
SHORTBREAD- Cream together the dairy-free butter and caster sugar with an electric hand or standing whisk, until it is lighter in colour. Add in the vanilla extract and continue to mix until it's fully incorporated.
- Fold in the sifted flour, a bit at a time. Don't over mix it though. Take out your mixture onto a floured surface, and bring the dough together into a large ball.
- Split your dough into 4 equal pieces and knead in your coloured gel. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least an hour.
- Take your dough out of the fridge and grab small balls of each colour and layer them up in the palm of your hand. Once all the dough has been used, knead it a few times on a floured surface so your colours mix. Don't do it too much or your colours will over mix. Roll your dough to 1cm thick and cut your shortbread using a cutter or knife. Place onto a lined baking tray and place it back in the fridge for another 30 minutes.
- Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees. Take out your shortbread, and sprinkle lightly with caster sugar. Put them into the oven for about 20 minutes. I'd recommend keeping an eye on your shortbread from 15 minutes. They should feel slightly firm to touch in the centre. Take the tray out the oven and leave on the side for 5 minutes, before putting your shortbread on a wire rack.
- Once your shortbread has cooled, it's time to make your nests. Break your shredded wheat up into small pieces and pour over your melted chocolate. Coat your shortbread however you like, and leave to harden.
INSTRUCTIONS
I am looking forward to Easter just to have a little break and indulge myself in a years worth of chocolate over a few days. Let me know in the comments below what is your favourite Easter bake. Are you a classic chocolate nest eater, or are you a little more experimental?
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