Low-FODMAP Heidesand (brown butter shortbread) with rice flour

Low-FODMAP Heidesand (brown butter shortbread) with browned butter, rice flour and cornflour, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup, plus a cinnamon edge. No wheat, spelt or egg, 36 cookies.

At a glance

• Serves 12
• Prep time: 130 min
• Cooking time: 30 min
• Total time: 160 min
• Calories: 170 kcal per serving
• Protein: 1 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Carbs: 19 g

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 25g coconut sugar
• 40g maple syrup
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1 pinch of salt
• 150g rice flour
• 50g cornflour
• 15g coconut sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · baking tray · knife · mixing bowl

1. Melt the butter in a light-coloured pan over a medium heat and let it foam for 5–7 min until golden brown and nutty-smelling. Pour it into a bowl with the brown bits from the bottom.
2. Leave the butter to cool for 15 min, then put it in the fridge for 30 min until firm but still spreadable.
3. Slit the vanilla pod open and scrape out the seeds. Beat the butter with the coconut sugar for the dough, maple syrup, vanilla seeds and salt for 2 min until creamy.
4. Add the rice flour and cornflour, briefly knead into a smooth dough and shape two logs 4 cm across.
5. Mix the coconut sugar and cinnamon for the edge on a sheet of baking paper. Roll the logs in it, press the mixture on lightly, wrap them and chill for 1 hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 160 °C (140 °C fan). Cut the logs into 7 mm slices and place them 2 cm apart on two baking trays lined with baking paper.
7. Bake one tray at a time for 13–15 min at 160 °C, until the edges are pale golden. Leave the cookies on the tray for 10 min, then they are firm enough to move to a rack.

Good to know

Heidesand is all about brown butter and sugar crystals. Here rice flour makes it sandy, and coconut sugar crunches on the cinnamon edge. It is noticeably less sweet than the classic – three cookies make a portion.

Swaps

Cornflour → potato starch (just as crumbly). Cinnamon → 1 tsp orange zest (fruitier). Vanilla pod → 1/2 tsp cardamom (the Scandinavian way). Rice flour → plain flour (classic, but no longer low FODMAP).

Cooking tips

Take the butter off the heat as soon as it is brown, as it keeps browning in the hot pan. If a slice breaks as you cut it, press it back into a round with your fingers – without gluten the dough holds together less.

Storage

Kept cool and dry in a tin, they stay crumbly for 3 weeks; you can freeze the logs for 2 months.

Allergens

Contains milk (butter); no gluten grains, no egg and no nuts. Suitable for children and during pregnancy.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make Heidesand gluten-free?

Yes, with rice flour and cornflour instead of wheat flour. Without gluten the dough holds together less: chill the logs for 1 hour and cut them with a sharp knife.

Is Heidesand low FODMAP?

The classic isn’t, because it is made with wheat flour. This version is classed under our low-FODMAP rule, based on data from Monash University, as long as you stick to three cookies per portion – partly because of the coconut sugar. What you tolerate is individual.