eleven - two kinds of shortbread

This post's name is "two kinds of shortbread" instead of just "shortbread", because I couldn't decide.
It's a thing I have when I want to bake something that suddenly dozens of possibilities start to show up before my eyes and I start to browse and read and think and the list of things I could or should bake right now gets longer and longer, and I end up confused and exhausted before I've even started.
Ok ok, it's not as dramatic as it sounds, and this time, I've found a pretty good solution: one dough, two versions. At least with shortbread, this method works a treat and gives you two cookies in one!
You just have to prepare the dough without the additions, i.e. nuts, spices, seeds etc. Then you divide it and add whatever you like to each part. Easy!

The first of the flavour additions I wanted to try was mainly for visual reasons. It's a combination of pistachios and rose petals. The trilogy of these two plus dark chocolate is just too pretty I thought. And I love pistachios.
As for the second one it was more a flavour I was after; months ago I made a batch of little cakes for a dear friend's birthday party. The recipe was from the Violet Bakery Cookbook (which I love so much without having it even bought yet. But all the recipes from it I've stumbled upon and tried are perfect) and they were just sublime. They had walnuts in them, cardamom and cinnamon and pink pepper. I never would have thought of this combination. It's magical and I wanted to try and replicate it in shortbread form.

Both versions were really good, buttery and crumbly and a pleasure to look at. Flavourwise, I liked them both, the chopped nuts were perfect in both, but I would have liked more intensity in the ones with walnuts...next time I'll up the spices a bit. If you try that, let me know!

Recipe (adapted from this one)

260 grams flour (half wholegrain, half all-purpose)
80 grams golden cane sugar
225 grams butter, softened
0,5 teaspoons salt

· dried rose petals, 40 grams chopped pistachios, plus more for decoration
· 0,5 teaspoons cardamom, 0,5 teaspoons rose pepper, 0,25 teaspoons cinnamon, a pinch of clove, 40 grams chopped walnuts, plus more for decoration
· chocolate for decoration


In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter with the sugar and salt until creamy and light. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Knead the dough a bit with your hands until it comes together properly.

If you want to make two versions as I did, divide the dough in two equal parts, and add the remaining ingredients to each one. Incorporate them with your hands, kneading carefully. Then shape two disks, wrap them in clingfilm and leave them to rest in the fridge for a couple of hours. For only one version, do the same with just one disk of dough (in that case you can add the nuts etc after the flour in the stand mixer).

Remove the dough from the fridge (one portion of dough at a time) and preheat your oven to 170 ºC fan (or 180º C regular).
Roll it out on a floured surface (0,5 cm thick) and start to cut out shapes of your choice. Put the cookies on a parchment paper and return them to the fridge, or even better, to the freezer, for about 10 minutes. Afterwards bake them, after putting the parchment papers on baking sheets, for 13-15 minutes. If you use two baking sheets at a time, rotate them once during baking time.

Let cool on a wire rack. Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Dip the cookies into it or work with a pastry brush. To finish, sprinkle some nuts, petals or seeds over the chocolate-covered parts of the cookies.