VIDEO. SBM’s secret spiced shortbread biscuit recipe

We met up with chefs Ken Thomas and Cédric Campanella in the ‘pôle sucré’ at the Société des Bains de Mer.

We went underground, to the ‘pôle sucré’ at the Société des Bains de Mer, daily supplier of pastries to the hotels and restaurants in the Principality, to meet pastry chefs Ken Thomas, in charge of the ‘pôle sucré’, and Cédric Campanella. Cédric revealed his recipe for shortbread biscuits with Christmas spices and honey from La Roua.

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The biscuits are available at the Chalet, on avenue de Monte-Carlo.

Ingredients

• 125g softened butter
• 80g brown sugar
• 1 free-range egg
• 300g flour
• 4g baking powder
• 1g 4-spice mix
• 1g cinnamon
• 100g honey
• 1 egg yoke (for the egg wash)
• 100g icing sugar (for the royal icing)
• 1 egg white (for the royal icing)
• Lemon juice

Christmas shortbread recipe

• Put the softened butter and the sugar in the mixer bowl. Mix.
• Pour in the honey, spices, baking powder, and half of the flour and egg. Mix.
• Add the rest of the egg and flour, and mix.
• Place the dough on a sheet of greaseproof paper. Add a second sheet on top, press out with your hand, then with a rolling pin.
• Leave to chill for around an hour.
• Using biscuit cutters, cut out shapes in the dough and place them on a baking tray.
• Use a brush to apply the egg wash to the biscuits.
• Bake in the oven at 180°C for eight minutes. Warning: the temperature and time may vary depending on the oven.
• Prepare the royal icing: add the egg white to the icing sugar and mix. Add a few drops of lemon juice and mix again.
• Using an icing bag, or a cone made from greaseproof paper, decorate the biscuits as you wish.
• Option: give your biscuits a dash of colour by adding food colouring to your royal icing.