Traditional Rich Scottish Shortbread Biscuits Cookies Recipes

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.

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Knead dough until smooth, about 6-10 times. Pat dough into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Pierce with a fork. , Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool on a wire rack.

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.

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!

PERFECT BUTTERY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil so that it hangs over the sides on two sides (this helps when it comes to removing the baked cookies from the pan).
• Mix sugar, vanilla, orange zest and the salt together. When mixing, be sure to press the zest into the sugar which releases fragrant oils. Stir in the warm melted butter until the sugar is practically dissolved into the butter. Add the flour and gently mix until a dough forms and no streaks of flour remain. It will look very shiny from all the butter.
• Use the tips of your fingers to press the dough into the prepared pan. Set aside at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Or, refrigerate overnight. (This gives the flour a chance to absorb moisture and flavor from the butter).
• Place an oven rack in the lower third of your oven and heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Bake cookies until set and the edges are a light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the cookies, but keep the oven on. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over the top of the shortbread and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
• Use the aluminum foil overhang to carefully remove the shortbread from the pan. Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into your desired shape - we like either 16 squares or 32 triangles. As you cut, the shortbread may be a little crumbly - don't worry, just be as careful as you can when cutting. A few corners lost isn't a big deal.
• Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool cookies on a cooling rack then store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature (or freeze for 2 to 3 weeks).

25 TRADITIONAL BRITISH RECIPE COLLECTION

Steps:

• Select your favorite recipe.
• Organize all the required ingredients.
• Prep a British dish in 30 minutes or less!