Cinnamon Shortbread Squares

Easy to make and easy to bake, these cinnamon shortbread squares are topped with a cinnamon glaze for extra sweetness and spice.

Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices for both sweet and savory dishes so when our host for this week’s Sunday FunDay chose National Cinnamon Day as our theme, I was delighted. 

I’ve been trying to search my own computer for old recipes I’ve saved and either never made or haven’t made for ages. This is one of them!

Cinnamon Shortbread Squares 

This recipe is adapted from a Nigella Lawson one from way back in 2005. It’s no longer on her website but you can find in New York Times Cooking.

Ingredients

For the cinnamon shortbread: 

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon or 196g flour 

1/2 cup or 62.5g icing sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 cup or 227g cold butter, cut into small cubes

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the cinnamon glaze: 

6 tablespoons or 85g butter 

1 tablespoon Lyle's Golden Syrup 

1/2 cup or 62.5g icing sugar 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Good pinch fine sea salt

To decorate AND up the cinnamon-ness: a sprinkle of cinnamon on the glaze, optional, but it is National Cinnamon Day today! 

Method

Preheat your oven to 325°F or 160°C and prepare a shallow 9x9 in or 23x23cm baking pan by lining it with baking parchment.

Cut the butter into cubes and chill in the freezer. 

Sift the icing flour and sugar together. 

In a food processor, combine the icing sugar/ flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Pulse until well combined. 

Scatter the butter cubes across the top and pulse again until mixture is crumbly and just beginning to come together. 

First it looks like sandy crumbs. 

Persevere until it just starts to get lumpy. 

Press mixture evenly into your lined baking pan. Chill in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. 

Bake in the preheated oven until the shortbread is firm, barely colored, golden around the edges, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until warm.

While the shortbread cools, prepare the glaze. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and golden syrup together. 

Remove the pot from the heat and vigorously whisk in the icing sugar, cinnamon and salt until the glaze is free of lumps. 

Allow to cool just until slightly thickened. 

Whisk again and pour over the warm shortbread, using a spatula to spread it out to the edges. 

Sprinkle on some extra cinnamon, if desired. 

Allow to cool completely, then cut into 16 or 24 squares.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned above, today is National Cinnamon Day so my Sunday FunDay friends and I are sharing recipes with that wonderful, aromatic spice. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. Check out the links below. 

• Apple Cinnamon Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Cinnamon Beef Tagine from Culinary Cam
• Cinnamon Shortbread Squares from Food Lust People Love
• Easy Cinnamon Rolls with Fireball Glaze from Our Good Life
• Mario Under Water World Cake (Apple Cinnamon Cake) from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Mexican Cinnamon Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Soft & Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies from Sneha's Recipe
• Tilslørte Bondepiker from Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Spicy Goat Vindaloo

Made with MANY dried chili peppers, this spicy goat vindaloo is a great dish for curry lovers who like it extra hot and full of rich, tangy flavor! 

The story behind vindaloo starts in the 15th century with the Portuguese who were adventurous seafaring explorers. They were, in fact, the first to find a direct all-sea route from Europe to India, landing in 1498. In all likelihood, Vasco de Gama, who was leading that expedition for the Kingdom of Portugal, had stocked his ships with wooden barrels packed with pork marinated in wine vinegar and garlic. This carne de vinho e alhos or vinha d'alhos concoction was used by sailors to preserve meat on long voyages.

When the Portuguese explorers led by Afonso de Albuquerque captured the port town of "Gove" (or Goyen) from the Bijapur Sultanate and adapted the local name into "Goa" in the early 16th century, they brought the recipe with them. 

Goans substituted local vinegars for marinating, since wine vinegar wasn’t available, and added spices they loved liked black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and new-world red chili peppers (also introduced to them by the Portuguese!) The name vindaloo evolved naturally from a phonetic corruption of vinho (wine) and alho (garlic) and the dish turned into vindaloo as we know it. 

Spicy Goat Vindaloo

This recipe works well with any red meat, preferably on the bone for more flavor. Think beef short ribs or oxtail, lamb shoulder chops or shanks. I am fortunate enough to know a good halal butcher that carries both goat and lamb, cut in chunks but on the bone. This is adapted from myriad recipes I found online and Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery.

Ingredients

1.76 lbs or 800g bone-in goat meat, or sub beef or lamb, as per note above

For the vindaloo paste:

18-20 dried red chili peppers – about 8g (You can deseed the chili peppers, if you’d like to reduce the spiciness of the dish. I don't but we like things spicy!)

¼ cup or 60ml palm vinegar (or wine vinegar, cane vinegar, apple vinegar or rice vinegar)

¼ cup or 60ml boiling water (for soaking the peppers)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

10 black peppercorns

6 cloves

3 in or 7.6cm piece cinnamon

½ to ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds

10 medium cloves garlic, about 1 oz or 28g, peeled

1 3 in or 7.6cm piece ginger, about 1 oz or 28g after peeling, sliced thinly

1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar

¼ teaspoon turmeric

To cook the vindaloo: 

4 tablespoons mustard oil or sub another oil

1 medium onion

1 sprig curry leaves, optional, plus extra for garnish

1 ½ to 2 cups or 360-480ml hot water (or as needed)

Fine sea salt 

1 to 2 teaspoons jaggery or brown sugar

Method

Cut the meat into a little larger than bite-sized pieces. A lot of the size will depend on the bones and what tools you own. I bought it cut up but then I used my cleaver to break some of the longer bones even smaller.

Soak the chili peppers in a small bowl by pouring in the boiling water, then the vinegar and set aside. 

Grind the coriander, cumin, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, mustard and salt to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. I have a coffee bean grinder that I reserve solely for this purpose. 

Transfer your soaked chili peppers to a blender or small food processor. Add in the garlic, ginger and jaggery/brown sugar, along with the freshly ground spices (not the turmeric - it will stain your processor bowl) and process to a smooth paste. 

Add the marinade, along with the turmeric, to your goat and mix well to coat.

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least for 4 hours.

When you are ready to cook the goat vindaloo, take the marinated meat out of the refrigerator. 

Chop 1 medium onion very finely or process it in your food processor till finely chopped. We don’t want big chunks of onion in the vindaloo sauce. 

Add three tablespoons of the mustard oil to a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium. Fry the meat chunks in batches until browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pan. 

Remove them to a plate when done. 

When all of the meat is browned, add the onion to the pot with the last tablespoon of oil and sauté until golden, using the cooking onion to get any nice sticky bits off the bottom. 

Add in the browned meat and stir well. 

Cook for a few minutes then add the curry leaves and sauté for a couple more minutes. 

Pour in about 1 cup or 240ml of hot water and mix well.

Cover and cook on a medium-low heat until the meat is fork-tender, stirring occasionally to make sure it’s not sticking or burning at the bottom. If it’s tending to catch, you can turn it down to simmer. 

Add more hot water as you cook, as needed. Depending on the toughness/tenderness of your meat, this could take as little as an hour and as much as two. We like our vindaloos saucy so I make sure not to let it dry out! 

To finish the dish, add some fine sea salt and 1 to 2 teaspoons jaggery or brown sugar, to taste.

Like any long-cooked stew, this spicy goat vindaloo tastes even better the next day! 

Serve with basmati rice and/or naan bread. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 22nd edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter V. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the V recipes below:

• Hummus from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Kale Macaroni & Cheese with Balsamic Vinegar from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Lemon Velvet Cream Pie from A Messy Kitchen
• Spicy Goat Vindaloo from Food Lust People Love
• Vanilla Cookies with Fudge Filling from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Vanilla-Flecked Black Cod en Papillote from Culinary Cam
• Vanilla Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes from Blogghetti
• Varan from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Vegan Pad Thai from Sizzling Tastbuds 
• Viennese Whirls from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Vrat Ki Aloo Dhaniya Sabzi from Sneha’s Recipe

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast 

M. Miso Chocolate Cookies 

N. Duck Egg Narjissiya 

O. Marinated Apéro Olives

P. Bacon and Pork Patties 

Q. Baked Quail Egg XO Sauce Appetizers 

R. Roasted Stuffed Chicken Parcels 

S. Scallop Roe Bottarga 

T. Garlic Lemon Tuna Steaks - Sous Vide 

U. Ugali - Savory Maize Meal Porridge 

V. Spicy Goat Vindaloo - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Spicy Goat Vindaloo! 

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Oxtail Nihari

This oxtail nihari is a labor of love with a rich, spiced gravy and chunks of meat that will have you dipping your naan or spoon in again and again. It's the national dish of Pakistan and one they are rightfully very proud of. This is my attempt to replicate it.

If you’ve been reading along here for a while, you know that I spent many years living in Southeast Asia and the Middle East where the Indian and Pakistani cultural influences were strong. And yet, I had never tried nihari. 

My husband and I were looking for an Indian buffet on our way home one day, because we are greedy like that, and Google was letting us down. Or maybe Indian buffets midday just aren’t a thing anymore in Houston, Texas. 

We decided to drive around the Mahatma Ghandi District (near Hillcroft and the Southwest Freeway, for those who live in Houston) and we happened upon a Pakistani restaurant – Ashar’s Kitchen - with a huge sign saying Nihari and Dhaga Kabab. Well, we know what a kabab is. I looked up nihari.

Google was finally helpful: “Nihari is a rich, slow-cooked meat stew from the Indian subcontinent, and it serves as the national dish of Pakistan. Chefs simmer the meat overnight or for 4 to 10 hours in a sealed pot (degh) to break down collagen and tenderize the protein until it falls off the bone.” 

Okay, then, sign us up! We ordered the lamb shank nihari and it was so good, with so much delicious sauce leftover that we ordered more naan to go and ate just the sauce and naan for a whole other meal. Friends, you know I had to try to make it myself. 

I’m here to tell you that however much you pay the restaurant for that pot of nihari, if that is an option where you live, it’s worth it. This dish is fabulous but it did take hours to make. Mostly hands-off time, but still. Hours.

Oxtail Nihari

I cheated and used a spice mix I bought in a shop across the road from Ashar’s Kitchen because, god knows, the long slow cook took long enough without toasting and grinding spices. Amazon carries it too, if it’s not available locally for you. The box even comes with simple cooking instructions. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup or 180ml canola or other light oil, divided

3 lbs or 1.36kg oxtails

1 packet Shan nihari spice mix (2.1 oz or 60g)

1 1/4 lbs or 567g marrow bones

1 cup or 120g atta (whole wheat) flour

1 onion, finely sliced

2 teaspoons garam masala

Fine sea salt, to taste

To garnish:

lemon or lime wedges

chopped cilantro

2 fresh serranos or jalapeños, sliced

2-inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut in matchsticks

To serve:

Naan and/or basmati rice

Method

Heat ½ cup or 120ml of the canola oil in your pot. Add the oxtail and the spice mix. Stir fry for about 10 minutes, turning often to render the fat on the oxtails. Add about 8 cups or 1.9L of water, enough to submerge the meat. 

Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes.

Add in the rinsed marrow bones, making sure to keep everything submerged. 

Cover and simmer for 5½ - 6 hours, checking periodically and adding more water if necessary.

As you can see, there is a lot of oil on the top of this dish. While you can skim some off, I find it easier to refrigerate everything and let the fat congeal so it can be removed. (In the restaurant, the dish came with much of its oil on top. I don't doubt that is traditional. Removing it is probably sacrilege but here we are trying to be a little more health conscious.)

Separate the oxtail pieces and marrow bones from the gravy and refrigerate both overnight. 

The next day, when you are ready to eat. remove the congealed fat from the top of the gravy, retaining about 1/3 cup or 80ml. (There was more than 1 cup! 300ml, in fact.) The rest of the fat can be discarded or used for another purpose.

If you don’t want to deal with bones while you eat, separate the meat from the bones and gristle. This is not a traditional step but, honestly, it falls off the bones so, why not? Remove the marrow from bones and save it to add to the gravy too. (Cold meat is not attractive but it is easier to handle.)

Put the gravy back on the stove to warm until it is liquid again and prepare a slurry with 2 cups or 480ml hot water and the flour. Whisk to remove any lumps. 

Add this to the gravy, constantly stirring to prevent any clumps from forming. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, as it thickens.

In a large skillet, fry the thinly sliced onion in a couple of tablespoons of the retained fat. As it fries, you can add more fat, if needed. 

You are looking for the deepest, darkest brownest onions – without letting them burn! - which will help color and flavor the nihari.

Pour the fried onion and fat from the pan on the nihari, which should have thickened nicely. 

Stir the meat and marrow back into the gravy, along with the garam masala, and simmer, covered, for another 15-20 minutes.

Give it a taste and add some salt, if necessary, to your taste. 

Serve with naan and/or rice, with the garnishes on the side so folks can add them to their own bowls. Add a drizzle of the remaining fat, if desired, as a small nod to the proper tradition of serving with the oil on top.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes from South Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Many thanks to our host, Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni. Check out the link list below.

• Aloo Paratha by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chana Pulao by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chicken Biryani by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Fihunu Mas - Whole Roasted Fish from the Maldives by Culinary Cam
• Kala Bhuna - Bengali Spiced Beef Stew by A Messy Kitchen
• Keto Ema Datshi by Sneha's Recipe
• Oxtail Nihari by Food Lust People Love
• Sheer Khurma by Mayuri's Jikoni

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin this Oxtail Nihari!

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