Cracked Black Pepper and Balsamic Vinegar Shortbread 
by Jannettas Gelateria 

Always one to try new and different flavours, our champion Pastry Chef, Kenny Hutton likes to push the boundaries and has created a new flavour and taste sensation at Jannettas. 

He devised this recipe to complement the strawberry ice cream that my husband, Owen, has created especially for the Crail Food Festival having used fresh strawberries sourced from Pittormie Fruit Farm near Dairsie in Fife. 

The shortbread coupled with a balsamic reduction topped off with strawberry ice cream is like a match made in heaven. Although unusual, it is definitely one to try – it’s outstanding. 

Time to prepare: 20 minutes
Time to bake: 12 minutes
Makes: 6 shortbread rounds

Ingredients (for the shortbread)
8oz plain flour
8oz butter
4oz icing sugar
2oz ground almonds
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Ingredients (for the balsamic reduction)
½ cup of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. honey        
3 - 4 cloves
½ orange, juice and zest

To serve
Strawberry ice cream, preferably Jannettas
1 punnet of fresh Scottish strawberries
1 bunch of mint

Method
1 To make the shortbread, mix the flour, butter, icing sugar, ground almonds, black pepper and balsamic vinegar together in a bowl to form a dough. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
3 Roll the dough out to 5mm thick and using 8mm ring, cut out the shortbread rounds. Place the rounds of shortbread on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. 
4 To make the balsamic reduction, place the balsamic vinegar, honey, cloves, orange juice and zest in a pan and gently bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and leave until it reduces by half. 
5 To serve, place the shortbread round in the middle of the plate and top with two scoops of strawberry ice cream and a handful of strawberries. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and fresh mint. Enjoy. 

Meet Kenny and Owen at Crail Food Festival on Sunday, June 11 at 1pm where they’ll give a chef demonstration and let you taste their new delicious creations. 

In association with Taste Communications.

www.tastecommunications.co.uk