FUELED Wellness + Nutrition | Shortbread Fingers: gluten free, low carb, zero sugar

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Ted Lasso’s ‘Biscuits with the Boss’ really got us curious and we’ve been trying different recipes ever since. True Scottish shortbread cookies melt in your mouth, that perfect balance of savory, buttery sweetness (but not too sweet). Brands like Walker’s Shortbread here in the US, and – if you’re lucky enough to find them – Dean’s Shortbread Cookies – are some of our favorite storebought brands.

The ingredients are stunning simple: flour, butter, sugar, salt. Each traditional shortbread ‘finger’ has about 100 calories, 11 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar.

We love the shortbread recipe by Carolyn Ketchum of All Day I Dream About Food.  Carrigan was still picking up on a bit of the cooling effect from the plant-based sweetener, though. So, our summertime intern Grace Mobley (food scientist enthusiast, incoming Senior at Ben Franklin High School, and founder of GracesFoodLab.com) tried a few variations, landing on this one below, using less erythritol, adding a touch of stevia and a bit more salt.

RECIPE | Shortbread Fingers

Makes 18 servings

• 2 cups almond flour, finely ground
• 1/2 cup granular erythritol
• 1/4 teaspoon stevia
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine almond flour, erythritol, stevia and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix well. Cut butter into small pieces and add to mixture, along with vanilla extract. With an immersion blender or an electric hand mixer (or in a food processor), blend until the mixture forms a coarse crumble and starts to stick together.

On an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper, press the dough to about 1/3-inch thickness. Score lightly with a knife to create lines for where to cut once baked (Grace does two lines down the center, and 5 lines across, to create about 24 ‘fingers’).  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges start to become golden.

Remove from oven. Once fully cooled, slice into ‘fingers’ using the scored lines added before baking.

Store any extras in an air-tight container for up to one week; freeze after that.

Nutrition Facts: 195 calories, 130 mg sodium, 2 net carbs (2.5 grams fiber, 0 sugar), 7 grams protein

Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered dietitian and nutrition journalist in New Orleans, and founder of the Ochsner Eat Fit nonprofit restaurant initiative. Tune in to her podcast, FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. Download the Eat Fit mobile app to stay in the know about Eat Fit partners, new dishes, festivals, and more. To schedule a nutrition consult with Molly’s Lifestyle Nutrition team, email nutrition@ochsner.org.

The views, opinions, and recommendations expressed by Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, provided for general educational purposes and not a substitute for personalized medical advice.

Latest Posts