Delight in these Pink Grapefruit and Thyme Vegan Shortbread cookies, combining the zesty freshness of grapefruit with fragrant thyme. Baked to a perfect golden crisp and topped with a tangy grapefruit icing, these elegant and flavorful vegan shortbread treats make a lovely dessert or snack for any occasion.
Total Time:55 minutes
Yield:16 servings
Ingredients
Grapefruit and Thyme Shortbread
240g (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
100g (¾ cup) icing sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp loosely packed, freshly grated, fine grapefruit zest
Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) to prepare for baking the shortbread.
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a food processor, add the flour, icing sugar, salt, grapefruit zest, and fresh thyme leaves. Pulse a few times until evenly mixed.
Add Vegan Butter: While the food processor is running, add the cold cubed vegan butter one piece at a time until the dough comes together into a rough ball.
Press Dough: Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, smoothing it out to an even layer.
Bake Shortbread: Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the dough is firm, dry, and slightly golden brown along the edges.
Cut Shortbread: Immediately upon removing from the oven, use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread into 16 equal pieces. Leave it to cool completely in the tart tin before removing.
Prepare Icing: While the shortbread cools, whisk the sifted icing sugar slowly with the grapefruit juice until smooth. Adjust juice for desired icing thickness. Add food coloring if desired.
Dip Cookies - First Coat: Dip the top of each cookie into the grapefruit icing and place on a drying rack. Repeat for all cookies.
Dip Cookies - Second Coat: After the first coat dries briefly, dip the cookies again for a total of two icing layers. Garnish each with fresh thyme or pearl sugar.
Dry and Serve: Allow the icing to dry and firm completely before serving. Enjoy your vegan grapefruit and thyme shortbread cookies!
Notes
Using cold vegan butter ensures a crumbly, tender shortbread texture.
If a food processor is not available, you can use a pastry cutter or your fingers to combine butter and dry ingredients.
Make sure to cool the shortbread fully before removing from the tart pan to avoid breaking.
Adjust grapefruit juice quantity in the icing gradually to achieve your preferred consistency.
Garnish with fresh thyme or pearl sugar to add texture and visual appeal.
