January is usually a month of New Year resolutions and staying healthy is one of the most common one. Gyms record the highest number of new memberships. True to the spirit of this season I have made an attempt(yet another!)to be health conscious. Apart from completely switching to olive oil, I have tried to minimize the use of butter/shortening in anything I bake. But there is no way you can completely do without it, can we? Can you even imagine Croissant/Puff Pastry without butter?
Shortbread is one such recipe which uses up a lot of BUTTER. A while back I baked the - TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD with three main ingredients – Butter, flour and sugar. I came across the non buttery one in the book “Olive Oil Desserts by Micki Sannar” and decided to bake it immediately.
To cut down little more calories I replaced ½ cup of all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry flour and didn’t use up ½ cup granulated sugar required to roll the baked shortbreads. I really didn’t miss anything in this new version. It was crumbly,soft and very addictive. If you really love shortbreads and are looking for a healthier option, this is a perfect recipe. Its truly a guilt free indulgence:)
OLIVE OIL SHORT BREAD
Ingredients:
3/4 cup pure olive oil
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar(powdered Sugar)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powderDirection:
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat a 9×9 inch pan with olive oil cooking spray. In mixer bowl, combine all ingredients and blend on medium high speed until dough is smooth. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. SLice into rectangular shapes and score with a fork before baking. Bake for 35-40 minutes( mine took about 32 minutes). When cool and while in pan, slice again and roll in granulated sugar if you like.
After baking,you may choose to roll them over granulated sugar. I felt it wasn’t necessary.
Bon Appétit
Nina
They look delicious, and such nice photography, too! I wouldn’t have thought of swapping out the butter for olive oil plus butter extract, but it definitely makes the dessert healthier! That and the whole wheat pastry flour are good substitutions.
Mary @ Fit and Fed recently posted..Butternut Squash Pecan Gratin with Vegan Goat Cheese
Thanks Mary. Yup those two substitutions does a whole lot of good to the shortbread:)
Does this have a strong olive oil taste? This sounds like such a good idea, but I’m a little scared!
Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies recently posted..Buffalo Tofu “Chicken” Tacos
Kelly - I didn’t feel any olive oil taste, it had a very very mild one which didn’t bother me much. It was not overpowering the shortbread. EVOO is definitely not recommended. I used a very light olive oil.
i’ve never made my own shortbread before but this version looks phenomenal. And made with olive oil - I am SO intrigued!
sally @ sallys baking addiction recently posted..mini powdered sugar donut muffins.
You shud try this one Sally…u’ll like it:)
Yes, a much healthier recipe for shortbread…and they look darn tasty, too! Thanks for sharing
Liz recently posted..Fudge Topped Brownies…#Chocolate Party
thanks sor your comments Liz
such a great idea! i would never have thought about using olive oil in shortbread!
Jenn and Seth recently posted..Flatbread Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce, Broccoli, Caramelized Onions, and Pineapple
Divine! This shortbread must taste really good. This healthy version is wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thansk Rosa and Jenn:)
this is totally my kinda recipe, but I have to ask, and you have to be honest, does it taste like Olive Oil? Once I baked brownies with Olive Oil and they tasted so olivey, kinda ruined the brownies. I’m thinking canola may work too. Let me know. Gorgeous pictures.
Honey What’s Cooking recently posted..Spicy Jalapeno Buffalo Hummus & a Super Bowl Party!
Thanks Nisha. To be honest the recipe depends on the kind of olive oil you use. It was definitely not overpowering the shortbread:) The day I baked I didn’t feel much of the olive oil flavor, but after 2 days the flavor started to show up a little. However it wasn’t bad. I really liked it all the more coz it was a low fat recipe of my fav cookie:)
I love how these are basically a healthy version of shortbread! They sound uber addictive.
Thanks Joanne…and yes they are really very addictive:)
i love, love, LOVE shortbread!! your pics are super cute.
kale recently posted..in need of distraction: trout entrée to the rescue!
Thanks Kale!
I made shortbread cookies today and my family gobbled it up. Now, my mother-in-law is requesting for another batch but without butter. I’m trying this recipe tomorrow with olive oil. But does it work with corn oil too?
I am sorry Lani for such a late response…I haven’t been online for a while now. I have never tried corn oil….so wudnt know how it wud be. But incase you try do let me know:)
Thank you so much for this recipe. I was hesistant to substitute butter with olive oil, but I couldnt resist the tempting photos of your baked goodies. This recipe is just PERFECT. I have to make 4 batches today coz the first one disappeared so fast.
Oh I am so glad it worked for you Lani. Thanks so much:)
Nina/ Nithya…just found your blog today and read more about you in the about me section…Love your blog+pics+recipes…I am sure i will be a frequent visitor now…glad to have found you!! BTW - few similarities b/w us that struck me are I am also a BA and I too have a toddler (girl)
Shema George recently posted..Spritz Cookies / Swedish Butter Cookies / Pressed Butter Cookies
Oh thanks Shema…thats very kind of you. Nice to know about our similarities too:)
I’ve had olive oil shortbread once and it was delicious, as I’m sure your version is, too! I agree that it’s pretty impossible to completely leave out butter in a recipe like this, so you did an awesome job!
Bianca @ Confessions of a Chocoholic recently posted..Dark Chocolate Citrus Brownies with a Cream Cheese Swirl
Yup Bianca, the olive oil did make a big difference:)
Nina…shortbread is one of my most favorite indulgences. I’ve never tried it with olive oil but I am really loving the texture of these! Your photos are so enticing! : )
Anne@FromMySweetHeart recently posted..Berry Smoothie Ice Cream Pie & A Give-Away!
Thaks Anne, thats very sweet of you:)
I love buttery shortbread and I’m very intrigued by the olive oil version. I’ve made cookies and cakes with oil, but not shortbread. Will have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing
Roxana | Roxana’s Home Baking recently posted..The best homemade dinner rolls (from scratch)
Thank you Roxana….you shud try this one:)