Traditional Shortbread Food

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add 3-3/4 cups flour; mix well. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead for 5 minutes, adding enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut into 3x1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with fork. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-12-1/2-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment, then butter the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Remove the plastic and cut the dough with a sharp knife into approximately 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern into the tops.
• Bake, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Carefully lift the bars off the parchment with a small spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

TRADITIONAL RICH SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD BISCUITS - COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl, and then rub in the butter - as if you were making shortcrust pastry. Use the tips of your fingers and ensure that all the butter has been rubbed in -- it should resemble sand!
• Then start to knead the paste, pushing it together to form a smooth dough - the heat of your hands whilst kneading helps it form.
• Petticoat Tails:.
• Divide the shorbread dough into two equal parts and shape them into balls, then flatten them out into two rounds - using the heel of your hand, to about 7" in diameter and 1/4" thick.
• Mark the top into equal portions - triangular in shape, and then prick the tops all over with a fork - making patterns if you wish! Crimp the edges as you would a pie crust to make a decorative edge and place them onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• (You can also use a greased and lined 7" or 8" fluted edged round sandwich/cake tin - preferably with a loose bottom for ease of taking the shortbread out. Press the dough into the tin and mark out as above).
• Shortbread fingers:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough, and shape into a rectangle, about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Place onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet as before, and mark into "fingers" -- prick over with a fork again. You can also press the dough into an 8" square baking/sandwich/brownie tin - and then mark out the fingers as above.
• (Please Note: The fingers are always thicker than the petticoat tails and shortbread rounds).
• Shortbread Rounds:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough and using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into rounds of about 2" to 3" in diameter, about 1/4" in thickness. Place them on a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• Wooden Shortbread Mould:.
• You can also place the dough into a decorative wooden shortbread mould, before turning it out on to a greased baking tray. Traditional Scottish wooden moulds can be bought online and usually have a Thistle design with heavily fluted edges.
• Bake the any of the above shortbread biscuits in a pre-heated oven 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for between 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale and golden - but NOT brown!
• Sprinkle extra caster sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven if you wish.
• Allow the shorbread bicuits to cool slightly on a cooling rack, before cutting into fingers or "petticoat tails".
• Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight tin or container. NB: These will last for about 10 to 14 days in a cool, dry and dark pantry. They can also be frozen with great results!

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan. You can also use a round cake can and cut the shortbread into triangles.
• Place the caster sugar, flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it's combined and looks like coarse breadcrumbs but is soft and pliable and comes together in a dough when you press it together between your fingers. If it's too dry and crumbly it needs to be pulsed a bit longer. (If using any add-ins, stir them in at this point.)Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan. Use your fingers and hands to firmly press down the mixture. Note: If the mixture is too dry to work with, including pricking with a fork (see below), then it was not pulsed long enough in the food processor. Optional: Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork, creating rows. Some people also like run a knife between each row of fork tines to make cutting the shortbread easier after it's baked. You can also prick the shortbread with a fork immediately after it is done baking while it is still warm; the holes will be more pronounced this way as they have a tendency to close during baking.
• Place the shortbread on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until light golden and firm. Let cool. Cut and serve.Store the shortbread in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Its flavor and texture improves over time.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Arrange oven racks, preheat the oven, and prepare baking sheets: Arrange racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
• Beat the butter and the sugar together until smooth.
• Stir in the flour to get a smooth paste. Turn on to a work surface and gently roll out until the paste is 1cm/½in thick.
• Cut into shortbread rounds or fingers and place onto a baking tray. Sprinkle with caster sugar and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
• Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix the flour and sugar first, and then rub in the butter.
• Knead the mixture until it becomes a smooth paste.
• Roll out till about 3/4 inch thick or 2cm thick.
• Cut into rectangles and decorate the top with a fork creating rows of holes.
• Transfer to a greased baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes at 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3). They want to stay pale and light golden.
• In warm weather you may want to chill the cookies before baking.
• This recipe can also be used for petticoat tails. Just split the mixture in two and flatten into 7 inch rounds about a half inch thick (1cm). Mark top into 8 portions and decorate with a fork. Bake for 30 minutes.
• To use a shortbread mold: Mix a teaspoon of flour and a teaspoon of caster sugar. Grease the mold with oil and evenly sprinkle half the flour/sugar mix. Press the shortbread into the mold, and turn out onto a baking sheet before baking.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.

TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift together cornstarch, icing sugar and flour. With large spoon, thoroughly blend in butter.
• Work with hands until soft, smooth dough forms. If necessary, refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle.
• Shape into 1 inch balls. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet; flatten with lightly floured fork. Or, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness; cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
• Decorate with candied cherries, coloured sprinkles or nuts, if desired.
• Bake in 300ºF oven 15 - 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove and cool completely on wire rack. Store in tightly covered container.

TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD WEDGES

Steps:

• Sift together flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Place butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add flour mixture; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third.
• Using plastic wrap, press dough into a buttered 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Cut dough into eight wedges with a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer, prick all over at 1/4-inch intervals.
• Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.

SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Steps:

• Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until well combined. Add the flour and pulse briefly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
• Tip out the mixture onto a work surface and gently bring it together, then knead it into a dough. Once the dough is formed, wrap it in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6.
• Once the dough has chilled, lightly flour the work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 3mm thick (about the thickness of a £1 coin). Use the 6cm fluted cutter to stamp out 16 biscuits, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary.
• Place the biscuits on the lined baking sheet and chill for another 5 minutes, then use a fork to prick a few lines of holes in the centre of each. Sprinkle the biscuits with a little caster sugar and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• Remove the biscuits from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely. The biscuits will keep in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

EASY SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Gradually add flour and mix well. (Dough will be crumbly). Shape into a ball., On a lightly floured surface, press dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut out with a floured 1-in. diamond-shaped cookie cutter; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick each cookie with a fork. Reroll scraps if desired. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Cool for 2 minutes before carefully removing to wire racks to cool completely.,

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares or rectangles. Cool completely before removing from pan. If using, dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL SHORTBREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C, conventional setting (no steam!). Line a couple of cookie sheets or baking trays with parchment and set aside.
• Put the butter, sugar and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until light and creamy looking. The time this takes will vary depending on how soft your butter is to begin with, and how strong your mixer is.
• While the butter and sugar are creaming, put the all-purpose/plain flour and the rice flour into a bowl and stir to combine.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2-3 batches, mixing on low speed just to combine each time. When all the flour has been added and the dough just comes together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until it's smooth. Don't go overboard, you just want a cohesive mass that's all the same color and consistency.
• If you want traditional shortbread wedges, divide the dough into two portions and form each into a disc about ⅜"/1cm high and 7"/18cm in diameter. Put the discs onto the lined trays and score each one into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. Use a fork to prick holes all over each disc.
• If you'd like cut-out cookies or stamped cookies, roll portions of dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to your desired thickness. Remove the top sheet of parchment and either cut out or stamp cookies. Place on lined trays, leaving ½"/1½ cm between each cookie.
• Bake the shortbread until dry, firm to the touch and just beginning to color at the edges. Discs will take 30-40 minutes and smaller cookies will take anywhere from 15-25 minutes, depending on their size.
• Cool the shortbread on the baking trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C/gas 3.
• Lightly grease baking tray or place a piece of baking paper over the tin (to stop the unlikely event of the Shortbread sticking).
• Place sifted flour and sugar into bowl and mix together.
• Dice the margarine and gradually rub into flour until breadcrumbs.
• Add vanilla essence and carry on rubbing in with fingertips.
• When the mixture sticks together, place on floured workspace and gently knead until a soft ball.
• Roll out until 1.5 cm in thickness, then cut into Shortbread fingers or petticoat tails. (Using a biscuit cutter is a good way to get a more defined shape)
• Prick all over with a fork or a cocktail stick and (for petticoat tails) mark the edges as well.
• Place in the oven for 15-20 mins and then leave to cool. (Make sure you take the Shortbread out when it is starting to darken round the edges of the biscuit)
• Sprinkle caster sugar over the biscuits (after fully cooled).