Recipe: Coffee and Cardamom Shortbread
By late January, as Imbolc approaches and the first hints of returning light begin to stir, comfort comes in the form of simple, grounding rituals. Shortbread is one of Scotland’s most beloved Winter treats and, paired with aromatic coffee and cardamom, it becomes a quietly luxurious bake: warming, fragrant, and perfect for the slow days before Spring begins its ascent.
Ingredients
250g plain flour
175g butter
75g caster sugar
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp ground cardamom
Optional decoration
50g melted chocolate, for dipping or drizzling
Chocolate-coated coffee beans
Method
Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan / 180°C / Gas 3.
Mix the flour, sugar, instant coffee and cardamom in a large bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture begins to clump together. Gently knead until it forms a dough, keeping a light hand so the shortbread stays beautifully crumbly.
Roll out the dough and cut into rounds, or press the dough into a lined tin and prick with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes. The biscuits should feel soft when they come out of the oven; they will firm up as they cool.
Once completely cool, drizzle or dip in melted chocolate and finish with a chocolate coffee bean if you like.
A Seasonal Note
Falling within Imbolc, this recipe honours the small comforts that carry us through the final stretch of Winter. Cardamom brings warmth, coffee offers focus, and shortbread, humble, buttery and steeped in Scottish tradition, becomes a tender ritual of anticipation as the light slowly returns. Perfect shared on Burns Night or savoured with a quiet morning cup.
