We bake a sweet treat from Catherine Greer's The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe.
There’s something about a book that makes you both laugh and tug at your heartstrings — a story that’s as rich and layered as the characters themselves. Catherine Greer’s The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe is exactly that kind of novel: sharp, witty, and full of reinvention, just like its heroine, Audrey Sweetman.
After her carefully planned life is flipped upside down, Audrey finds herself in the eccentric seaside town of Whitehaven Bay. It’s here, among her unconventional new neighbours — including a bikie gang, a blunt-talking teen, and a mysterious retiree — that she starts Bittersweet Biscuits. And when financial ruin looms, she takes an unconventional path to success: fortune cookies that deliver brutally honest messages.
But among her more daring creations, there’s one biscuit that speaks to both the sweet and the bittersweet moments in life: Audrey’s signature jam drop shortbreads, finished with a delicate drizzle of white chocolate. Simple yet indulgent, they’re a treat that pairs perfectly with a good book and a moment to reflect on life’s unexpected twists.
Raspberry Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Recipe
Just like Audrey’s journey, these biscuits remind us that life is a mix of the soft, the sharp, and the surprising. Whether you’re facing a new chapter, embracing change, or simply indulging in a quiet moment, these sweet treats offer the perfect balance — because sometimes, the most unexpected ingredients make for the best stories.
Raspberry Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate
You can’t be miserable while you eat a cookie.
Ingredients:
Dough
250 grams (1 cup) softened butter
140 grams (⅔ cup) white sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
300 grams (2 cups) plain flour
Filling
Small jar of raspberry jam
Drizzle
250 grams (1 cup) white chocolate melts
Method:
Line baking sheets with baking paper or silicone mats.
Preheat oven to 180°C, fan forced.
Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in the almond extract, add flour and mix.
Roll into 2 cm balls and place on the baking sheet.
Make an indentation in the centre of each ball and fill with jam. You can pipe this in or use a spoon.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on your oven.
Cool and drizzle with melted white chocolate. You can use a sandwich bag and snip the corner, or drizzle using a fork.
Let cool completely and serve. These cookies freeze beautifully.
The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe
by Catherine Greer
A woman's midlife reinvention and a beach village of eccentric Aussies collide with stupendous results in this witty, razor-sharp and immensely enjoyable debut from author Catherine Greer.
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