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Heidesand (brown butter shortbread) with spelt and vanilla
Heidesand with browned butter, spelt flour, vanilla seeds and coconut sugar: crumbly butter cookies sliced from a log. Family-friendly snacks, 182 kcal per serving (3 cookies).
Melt the butter in a saucepan and let it brown over a medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until it smells nutty. Pour it into a bowl and let it set in the fridge until firm but spreadable.
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod. Beat the butter with the coconut sugar, vanilla seeds, milk and salt until creamy.
Knead in the spelt flour, shape two logs 4 cm in diameter, wrap them and put them in the fridge for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Cut the logs into 6 mm slices and place them on two baking trays lined with baking paper.
Bake the Heidesand one tray at a time at 180 °C for 11 to 13 minutes each, until the edges are light brown, then leave it to cool on the tray.
Good to know
Heidesand crumbles on your tongue like sand – hence the name, 'heath sand'. The secret is browned butter, which tastes of nuts and caramel. You can prepare the logs ahead and bake them on another day.
Swaps
Spelt flour → plain flour. Coconut sugar → maple sugar. Milk → oat milk. Vanilla pod → 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Cooking tips
Take the butter off the heat as soon as brown flecks form on the bottom of the pan. Roll the logs in a little coconut sugar before slicing to give them a crunchy edge.
Storage
Keeps for 3 weeks in a cookie tin; the dough logs keep for 3 months in the freezer.
Allergens
Contains gluten (spelt) and milk (butter, milk); no egg or nuts.
Frequently asked questions
Can you freeze Heidesand?
Keeps for 3 weeks in a cookie tin; the dough logs keep for 3 months in the freezer.
