Home > Recipes > Afternoon tea recipes > Gill Meller’s brown butter and poppy seed shortbread biscuits

Gill Meller’s brown butter and poppy seed shortbread biscuits

Name: Gill Meller’s brown butter and poppy seed shortbread biscuits
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 8-10
Cuisine: British recipes
Ingredients: 300g unsalted butter; 150g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling; 300g plain flour; 150g cornflour; 1 tbsp poppy seeds; You will also need…; 25 x 15cm non-stick cake tin

Published: 22 Sep 17
Updated: 5 Aug 24

These easy, moreish shortbread biscuits topped with poppy seeds are perfect as an afternoon snack or with afternoon tea.

Or, for a little heat, make these ginger shortbread biscuits.

Easy
Online only

Test kitchen approved

Serves 8-10
Hands-on time 35 min, oven time 55 min

These easy, moreish shortbread biscuits topped with poppy seeds are perfect as an afternoon snack or with afternoon tea.

Or, for a little heat, make these ginger shortbread biscuits.

Save recipe

Save

Save recipe Print

Rate

Ingredients

300g unsalted butter
150g golden caster sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
300g plain flour
150g cornflour
1 tbsp poppy seeds

You will also need…

25 x 15cm non-stick cake tin

Cook Mode Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

Heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas mark 3 1/2. Put the butter in a small heavy-based pan over a low-medium heat. Shake the pan once in a while to stop the butter spitting. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the butter smells fragrant and nutty and you see the solids browning on the base of the pan. Skim any foamy bubbles from the top.
Put the sugar in a medium mixing bowl, then pour over the butter, leaving the solids in the base of the pan; mix well. Combine the flour, cornflour and a pinch of fine salt in a separate bowl, then add to the butter and sugar mixture.
Use a spatula to bring everything together to a soft dough. Spread the dough evenly into the cake tin, pressing it down with a spatula to level it. Bake for 50-55 minutes until just firm. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with caster sugar and the poppy seeds. Use a knife to score into rectangular fingers. When fully cool, cut into fingers.