Breakfast BakesCaribbeanEasy

Tamarind and Honey Breakfast Shortbread

Name: Tamarind and Honey Breakfast Shortbread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 36 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; ¾ cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar; ¼ cup (85 g) honey; ⅓ cup (90 g) tamarind paste, sieved to remove fibers, room temperature; 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract; ½ tsp (3 g) fine sea salt; 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch; fleur de sel or flaky sea salt, for topping, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Buttery shortbread cookies infused with tart tamarind paste and sweet honey, bringing Caribbean warmth to your breakfast table. These crisp, tender cookies have a subtle tang that pairs beautifully with morning coffee or tea. The tamarind provides a sophisticated depth while honey adds gentle sweetness and a tender crumb. Perfect for dunking.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 16 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 51 min
Makes: 24 cookies

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Steps

Before you start

Bring butter to room temperature for 1–2 hours so it's soft but still holds its shape when poked.
Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and position one rack in the center.
Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper for easy removal.

1
Cream butter and sugars
- In a stand mixer or by hand with a wooden spoon, beat softened butter and brown sugar together for 2–3 minutes on medium speed until light, pale, and fluffy.
- This incorporates air into the dough and creates a tender shortbread texture.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale and increased in volume
Tip: Don't skip the creaming step—it's essential for tender shortbread. If your butter is too cold, it won't incorporate air; too warm, and the cookies will spread too much.
2
Add honey and tamarind
- Pour in the honey and add the sieved tamarind paste.
- Beat on medium speed for 1–2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through, until the mixture is well combined and uniform in color.
- The dough will look slightly looser than before.
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Ready when: No visible streaks of tamarind; dough is slightly lighter in color
Tip: Sieve the tamarind paste to remove fibers and seed fragments. Fresh or canned tamarind paste works equally well.
3
Stir in vanilla and salt
- Add vanilla extract and sea salt.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined, about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Vanilla and salt are fully incorporated
4
Mix in flour and cornstarch
- Sift the flour and cornstarch together into the wet mixture.
- Fold gently with a wooden spoon or switch to the mixer on low speed, stirring just until no dry flour streaks remain.
- The dough should look shaggy but come together when pressed.
- Do not overmix.
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Ready when: No visible dry flour; dough is evenly moistened throughout
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes shortbread tough. Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.
5
Press dough into sheet
- Transfer the dough onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using your hands or a small offset spatula, press the dough into an even ½-inch (1.25 cm) thickness, pressing firmly to create a uniform, compact layer that fills the sheet.
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Ready when: Dough is even and fills the entire sheet
Tip: Don't let the dough sit between steps—shortbread dough firms up quickly and becomes harder to press. Work with it while it's still warm from mixing.
6
Score the shortbread
- Using a sharp knife, score the dough into 24 rectangles: make 3 cuts lengthwise and 7 cuts across the width, creating 2×2-inch (5×5 cm) squares (or adjust size as desired).
- Prick each square lightly with a fork once or twice to prevent puffing during baking.
- If using fleur de sel, sprinkle it lightly over the surface now.
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Ready when: All squares are cut and surface is pricked
Tip: Cut partway through the dough or all the way—either works. Scoring before baking makes cookies easier to break apart after baking.
7
Bake the shortbreadOven 325°F / 165°C
- Bake at 325°F (160°C) on the center rack for 16–18 minutes.
- The top should be pale golden brown, not deep brown.
- The edges will firm up faster than the center—that's normal.
- The shortbread will firm up considerably as it cools.
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Ready when: Surface is pale golden brown; a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean; edges are slightly darker than center
Tip: Shortbread is done when it looks slightly underbaked—it continues to firm up as it cools. Overbaking makes it hard and bitter.
8
Cool and cut
- Allow the shortbread to cool on the baking sheet for 10–15 minutes until it's firm enough to handle but still slightly warm.
- While still on the pan, cut through the scored lines completely using a sharp knife.
- Once cooled to room temperature (about 30 minutes more), transfer each cookie to a cooling rack or serving plate.
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Ready when: Shortbread is firm enough to cut without crumbling but still slightly warm
Tip: Cutting while the shortbread is slightly warm ensures clean breaks. Once fully cooled, it can crack if you try to cut it.

Good to know

Tips

Tamarind paste varies widely in fiber content and sourcing. Sieve it before measuring to remove tough fibers and ensure a smooth dough.
Fleur de sel or flaky sea salt on top enhances the sweet-tart contrast and adds a professional finish. Use sparingly—a pinch per cookie is enough.
These cookies are forgiving of slight variations in butter temperature. Soft (not melted) butter is ideal, but cool room-temperature butter works fine too.
For a softer, more cake-like texture, add 1–2 tbsp of milk or cream to the wet mixture before adding flour. This makes them more dunking-friendly.

Make ahead

You can prepare the dough and press it into the pan up to 2 days ahead; wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake directly from the fridge, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time. Alternatively, bake the shortbread up to 3 days ahead and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Frozen cookies thaw in 15–20 minutes at room temperature and taste just as fresh. Do not refrigerate—the moisture in the fridge will soften the shortbread. Reheat briefly (optional): warm cookies in a 275°F (135°C) oven for 5 minutes if you prefer them crisp rather than softened.

Substitutions

tamarind paste → ½ tsp tamarind powder dissolved in 1 tbsp warm water (use the liquid, not the powder alone). Tamarind powder is less common but works in a pinch. Use the hydrated version for best distribution.
packed light brown sugar → ¾ cup (150 g) granulated white sugar. The cookies will be less rich and slightly crisper, with less molasses depth.
honey → 3 tbsp (45 g) maple syrup or agave nectar. Maple syrup adds earthy notes; agave is neutral and slightly less sweet.
cornstarch → ¼ cup (30 g) rice flour or additional all-purpose flour. Cornstarch provides extra tenderness. Rice flour also works; extra flour makes the shortbread slightly firmer and less delicate.