Ingredients
- Traditional Scottish Shortbread
- 1 lb (450g) butter
- 8 oz (225g) castor sugar (uperfine sugar)
- 1 lb (450g) sifted plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 8 oz (225g) rice flour
- pinch of salt - if using unsalted butter
Preparation
Step 1
Directions
Set oven to 375F - 190C - Gas Mark 5
Cover an ungreased baking sheet (cookie tray) with grease-proof paper (wax paper).
Mix flour and rice flour, then add salt (if you're using unsalted butter), and sift these dry ingredients at least twice, preferably three times.
Cream butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon (be warned - this takes serious 'elbow grease' but produces a better end result!). Add the sifted ingredients and mix together by hand until you have a soft dough.
NOTE: The shorter the time it takes to mix the ingredients, and the less 'handling' is involved, the shorter, crumblier and more delicate the texture of the shortbread will be.
DON'T be tempted to 'knead' at the dough, as this will make the it 'tough' - and the finished result won't be what you are hoping for.
Form dough into a ball, and then, depending on what shape you want to make your shortbread,
Either...
Press gently into a Shortbread Mold/Pan (the dough should be about 3/4 inch - just under 2cms - thick). If you're using a shortbread mold, it's a good idea to dust it with powdered sugar (icing sugar) put it in the fridge for a short while before baking.
Or you can press the dough into a circle about 8 - 10 inches across, and again about 3/4 inch thick and mark out 16 'slices' with a knife (just don't cut all the way through) and put this on the prepared tray as above. Or you can use any round cake pan.
Decorate by pinching the outer edges of the dough between thumb and forefinger, and then use a fork to prick the rest of the dough.
Or...
On a lightly floured surface, press (or use a rolling pin - sparingly!) dough out until it's about 1/2 inch thick, and rectangular in shape and cut into bars that are approx. 3" x 1" (called 'fingers'). Prick the top with a fork.
Small circular Scottish shortbread cookies (known as 'rounds') can be made by cutting shapes from the dough using a round cookie cutter that is about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. These little cookies can be decorated the same way as the larger circle above.
Of course you can cut the dough into any shape you want, and holiday shortbread santas, bells, snowmen etc. are popular and this Nordic Ware Snowflake Shortbread Pan makes beautifully decorated shortbread to drink with a hot beverage on cold winter days!
Bake for 1 hour in pre-heated 375F oven, then after 20 mins reduce to 350F (180C/Gas Mark 4) and continue to bake until shortbread is pale golden. Allow to cool in pan, then remove to wire cooling rack. When thoroughly cooled these can be stored in an air-tight cookie tin or 'Tupperware' container.