Russian Shortcake

After making many sponge cakes – both big and small - with rich buttercreams and frostings, I had a hankering for something simpler and more biscuity this week.  I must confess from the off that I don’t know whether this is a Russian recipe or whether it’s acquired that name somewhere along the line.  I can’t see anything about the recipe that screams “Russian” at me but it’s as good a name as any and makes it sound more exotic than sultana spice slice!

I was disappointed with my topping when I made it – it looked ugly and I scrapped the first batch (my fault for not sifting the icing sugar).  I was ready to advise you to make a simple glace icing instead...but then I tasted it.  Yum.  It doesn’t look particularly elegant but boy does it pack flavour and it also has a gentle sugary crunch to it which is surprising given its butteriness.

The biscuit part isn’t crisp – I was expecting shortbread (foolish, given that it’s called shortcake!) – it’s a halfway house between biscuit and cake.  This is the sort of bake that you sit down with a cup of tea and think, ‘I’ll just have one or two’, and then realise you’ve eaten half the batch!

Ingredients

For the base:

145g unsalted butter
145g light brown sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
260g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
150g sultanas

For the topping:

30g unsalted butter
60g icing sugar – sifted (NB.  I never sift anything but you must here, otherwise your topping will look lumpy and gross)
10g caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – you can also use ginger, if you prefer

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan oven 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

Grease a 30cm x 20cm tin – I used a disposable foil one.

Start by making the base: melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until the butter is just melted.

Leave to cool.

Beat the egg and vanilla together.

Add the melted butter mix, flour, baking powder and sultanas and mix well.  Don’t expect a biscuit dough texture – it’s more like the shiny gloopiness of gingerbread.

Spread into the prepared tin and level the surface.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the base feels firm.  Mine took exactly 20 minutes.

About halfway through the cooking time, start making the topping: melt the butter and then stir in the remaining ingredients.

Stir well and spread over the hot base as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Leave to cool before cutting into fingers.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.