Hello lovelies,
It’s about damn time! I can only apologies that I haven’t shared a shortbread bar recipe since blooming christmas. That’s criminal.
It’s been a hot minute but I promise you, this bar I’m sharing with you today will have been worth the wait!
When thinking of fruits I wanted to use, it was apparent that I hadn’t shared anything with both gooseberries and blackberries in, so it was only right I changed that asap. Boy, am I pleased with the outcome.
This gooseberry and blackberry combination created what I can only describe as my favourite bars I’ve made to date. It’s sweet, tart and juicy – the perfect trio. And paired with my shortbread recipe, it’s just *chefs kiss*.
So, if this shortbread bar has caught your eye and got you wanting to make one yourself, you know the drill. Keep on scrolling below and you’ll find today’s recipe.
Category: Sweet Treat
Servings: 16 Bars
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Bake Time: 1Hour 10Minutes
Overall Time: 1+ Hour
Ingredients You Need For Shortbread Base & Topping:
- 170g Of Unsalted Butter
- 105g Of Caster Sugar
- 65g Of Light Brown Sugar
- 2tsp Of Vanilla Bean Paste / Extract
- 280g Of Plain Flour
Ingredients You Need For The Filling:
- 320g Of Gooseberries, Top & Tailed
- 200g Of Blackberries
- 30g Of Granulated Sugar
- 2.5tbsp Of Cornflour
- 27g Of Water
How To Make The Shortbread Base & Topping:
- Firstly, gather together your equipment and ingredients, line a 8” loose-bottomed square tin with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 190C / 170C Fan / Gas Mark 4.
- Secondly, in a large bowl, using an electric whisk, beat together the 170g of unsalted butter with the 105g of caster sugar, 65g of light brown sugar and 2tsp of vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Next, slowly add the 280g of plain flour and mix until incorporated and a shortbread dough begins to form.
- Transfer one third of the shortbread dough into a clean bowl and using a fork, break the dough into coarse crumbs. Then, place into the freezer.
- Now, using your hands or a rubber spatula, press the remaining shortbread dough evenly across the base of the prepared baking tin.
- Using a fork, prick the dough all over (this stops the dough from puffing up whilst baking).
- Place the tin into the oven and bake for around 25 minutes, until the shortbread is golden brown.
- After 25 minutes, remove the shortbread base from the oven and set to one side to cool whilst you make the filling.
How To Make The Filling:
- In a large saucepan over a medium-high heat, add the 320g of gooseberries, 200g of blackberries and 30g of granulated sugar and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the berries have released all their juices and the mixture has began to thicken.
- In a cup, whisk together the 2.5tbsp of cornflour with 27g of water.
- Bring the berry mixture to the boil and add the cornflour slurry into the berry compote and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the compote is even thicker and paste-like.
- Transfer the compote into a small heat-proof bowl and place into the fridge to cool down.
How To Assemble:
- Now that everything has cooled, it’s time to assemble.
- Spread the cooled berry compote across the top of the cooled shortbread base.
- Remove the remaining shortbread from the freezer and evenly sprinkle the shortbread across the top of the filling.
- Place the shortbread bars back into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.
- Finally, once fully cooled, carefully remove from the baking tin and cut into 16 squares and serve.
Notes:
- For a cleaner cut of these shortbread bars, once cooled, place into the fridge for 30 minutes. This allows it to harden making it easier to cut.
- These berry shortbread bars should last 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.
- Once baked and completely cooled, these shortbread bars can be frozen for up to 3 months. I’d recommend taking out the freezer the night before using, put the bars into the fridge to thaw and remove from the fridge the next morning to bring the bars to room temperature before serving.
- I brought the punnets of gooseberries and blackberries from Waitrose.
A really simple recipe but the burst of flavour it creates on your tastebuds is sensational.
It was about time I shared a shortbread bar recipe! The gooseberries and blackberries are an elite combination which I’m so pleased I’ve created. I just know I will be baking these every summer!
Let me know in the comments below if you create these bars yourself and if you do, what your thoughts are on them. Were these bars worth the wait? Do you like the combination of gooseberry & blackberry?
Sending you all tons of love & hugs as always,
Elle xo
