Low-Carb Lemon Myrtle Shortbread

I’ve been playing around with native Australian ingredients lately. I’m amazed at the diversity and range of native spices that I can access that I never knew existed. If you can get your hands on some, try them out for yourselves, it’s a lot of fun!

Lemon Myrtle has a fresh lemon and herb flavour. If you can’t get hold of any, substitute it with fresh lemon zest and fresh thyme for a very similar flavour profile.

I had a friend challenge me to create an “everything free” shortbread recipe lately and then she said that Lemon Myrtle was amazing in shortbread.

Right. If you know me, you know that I love a challenge. I had a fabulous tried-and-true low carb shortbread recipe, but it used butter. I decided to substitute the butter with coconut oil and then played around with the amounts until I was happy with the end result.

They’re not the prettiest shortbread you’ll ever see, but they taste incredible and have a lovely crumbly mouthfeel.

I’m now working on a Chocolate and Wattleseed version, so stay tuned! Enjoy.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    15 minutes
Overall:     2 hours 15 minutes

Nutritional values (per shortbread cookie)

Total Carbs	1.9	grams
Fiber	0.9	grams
Net Carbs	1	grams
Protein	1.9	grams
Fat	9.7	grams
of which Saturated	4.6	grams
Energy	97	kcal
Magnesium	24	mg (6% RDA)
Potassium	60	mg (3% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (4%), protein (8%), fat (88%)

Ingredients (makes 22 shortbread cookies)

• 2 cups almond flour (200 g/ 7.1 oz)
• ⅓ cup granulated Erythritol or Swerve (67 g/ 2.4 oz)
• ½ cup + 2 tsp solid extra virgin coconut oil (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
• 1 tsp powdered lemon myrtle (or substitute with 1 tsp each fresh lemon zest + chopped thyme)

Instructions

1. Place the coconut oil in a heat proof jug and melt in the microwave.
2. Combine all of your dry ingredients into a bowl. Pour the coconut oil into the ingredients and mix well to combine.
3. Lay a sheet of cling film out on your work surface and place the shortbread mixture on it. This mixture is still quite crumbly at this point, so don’t panic.
4. Very carefully, using the cling wrap to assist you, bring the dough together to form a brick or a round log. Place in the refrigerator for two hours until very firm.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 C/ 355 F. Unwrap the dough and use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 5-10 mm slices. If your dough is still too crumbly, try placing it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes. I know this seems fiddly, but trust me it’s worth it.
6. Place slices on a lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes until browned. The shortbread will crisp up as it cools, so don’t be upset when you take it out of the oven and it’s still very soft.
7. When done, leave it to cool on the try for a little while and then transfer to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for up to 6 months.

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