Shortbread Wreaths - Chef Recipe by Kirsten Tibballs.

Ingredients

This is the ideal recipe for those early birds who like to plan ahead, as you can begin compiling the shortbread ingredients you need ahead of time. These little treats can be paired alongside my Eggnog with a Twist recipe for Christmas dessert, or gifted to those loved ones with a sweet tooth.

Makes 10 wreaths

Coconut shortbread pastry:

75g unsalted butter
50g pure icing sugar
25g whole eggs
17g desiccated coconut
130g plain flour
1g salt
1g baking powder

Cinnamon and nutmeg ganache:

140g Bulla thickened cream 35% fat
1g fresh nutmeg, grated
3g ground cinnamon
60g Callebaut 823 Milk Couverture 33.6%
73g Callebaut 811 Dark Couverture 54.5%

Garnish:

100g your favourite chocolate, tempered
10 glace cherries
36 whole almonds (skin on)
10 skinned pistachios
36-40 whole roasted hazelnuts
QS icing sugar

Method

Coconut shortbread pastry:

Place the butter and icing sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.

Mix on low speed until you achieve a smooth paste. When there are no more lumps of butter left, add the eggs and coconut. Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, sieve the flour, salt and baking powder. Add the sieved dry ingredients to the mixture and combine on a low speed, being careful not to overmix or it will develop gluten.

Once the pastry has come together, press into a neat, flat square and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Rolling the pastry:

Lightly dust the bench with flour and cut the pastry in half.

Roll the pastry in two batches. Lightly dust the top of the first half of pastry and roll out to a 3mm thickness with a rolling pin. Keep moving the pastry and dusting it as you go to ensure it doesn’t stick.

Using a 70mm cutter, cut out discs. Cut the centre out of each disc with a 40mm cutter to create rings. Place the rings onto a Silpain mat on top of a perforated baking tray, or an aluminium tray lined with baking paper.

Reserve any offcuts and add them to the second batch of fresh dough. Repeat the process until you have 30 discs in total.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 160 C.

Allow to cool at room temperature.

Cinnamon and nutmeg ganache:

In a saucepan, boil the cream, nutmeg and cinnamon.

Place both the milk and dark couverture in a bowl.

Pour the hot mixture over the couverture and whisk by hand until the chocolate has fully melted.

Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface. Leave the ganache at room temperature for approximately 1-2 hours, until it reaches a piping consistency.

Assembly:

Transfer the ganache to a disposable piping bag fitted with an 8mm round piping tip.

Pipe a layer of ganache onto the ring. Place another ring on top and gently press it, ensure you don’t press it too hard or the ganache will spill out. Pipe another layer of ganache and set another ring on top.

Garnish:

Temper the couverture.

Quarter the glace cherries and cut the pistachios in half.

Prepare a paper piping cone and fill it with a small amount of tempered chocolate.

Pipe a drop of chocolate onto the nuts and cherries and decorate the top of the wreath, using the chocolate to secure them.

Dust with icing sugar prior to serving.

Credits: Kirsten Tibballs

Photo Credits: Kirsten Tibballs