In Shakespeare’s day, Groundlings was what theater goers were called, who could only afford a pence or two, which allowed them to have standing room only on the main, or ground floor of the theater.  These little cakes, quite like shortbread, were an inexpensive treat they could buy from the hawkers baskets.

1/2 cup of butter
1/2 cup of sugar

2 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of finely ground almonds or walnuts
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 ground nutmeg

1 egg
A few drops of milk

Cream the butter and sugar together until very well blended and the sugar is melted.  Beat in the egg.  Sift all the dry ingredients together and gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture.  If the dough is too dry to work, add a few drops of milk.   This will not be like a cake batter or even a biscuit dough. 

This will be quite crumbly and look like it isn’t going to work.   You may make one large cake and cut it into serving pieces or you may press the dough into individual molds.  There are shortbread molds, usually made of wood.  You don’t bake in them, you press the dough into them and then turn them out onto a baking sheet lined with Baker’s parchment.  If you are making one large piece, put the dough into a pie pan, pizza pan or other baking pan and press it down.  You want the dough to be no more than one half inch thick.  Press it down so that all the crumbly bits press together.  Mark the top with a knife into the size serving pieces you want.  Sprinkle the top lightly with raw, Turbinado or Drmerrara sugar and press it into the dough.  Bake in the center of the pre heated oven until a pale buff color.  It should not really brown.  If baking one large cake, when it comes out of the oven it may be cracked.  Don’t despair.  Use a rolling pin, the back of a wooden spoon or the palm of your hand and while it is still warm, press it back together. 

You can find shortbread molds for making individual cakes in specialty shops.  A nice variation is to hand-shape them and put a dollop of jam or jelly in the center.  These shortbread like cakes will

keep for weeks in an air tight container, in fact they are better after they have aged for a week or two.

The Stage of the New Globe Theater as seen from the Goundlings point of view.