Name: Scottish shortbread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 350 g plain flour; 125 g caster sugar; Pinch salt; 250 g unsalted butter, cut into small chunks; Caster sugar for dusting

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Scottish shortbread

It is likely that Scottish shortbread was influenced by French pastries such as the ‘petites gatelles’ which may have been introduced during the Auld Alliance between Scotland and France against the English at the end of the thirteenth century. It has also been suggested that Mary Queen of Scots, who had been married to Francis II of France and lived there until 1560, introduced similarly French style pastry to her native Scotland. It was traditional to make a large, round shortbread which were cut into triangles and referred to as ‘petticoat tails’ due to the crimped edges which suggested the frills of a petticoat. Shortbread was particularly served at Christmas and Hogmanay and a piece of shortbread was broken over the head of a new bride as she entered her new home.

Equipment

Weighing scales
2 23cm round sandwich cake tins
Baking paper
Large mixing bowl
Sharp knife

Preparation method

Grease and line the sandwich tins with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas Mark 2.5.
Place the flour, sugar and salt into the mixing bowl and stir thoroughly.
Add the butter and rub in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. You can do this in a food processor if you want to save time.
Once you have a breadcrumb consistency start to squeeze the mixture together until you have a stiff dough. This is much easier if using a food processor as it automatically creates a dough.
Divide the dough into two and place each piece in a prepared sandwich tin.
Use your fingers and palms of your hands to press the mixture over the bottom of the sandwich tin and spread it to the edges of the tin. Use the back of a large metal spoon to smooth the surface evenly.
Use the handle of a small wooden spoon to flute the edges of the shortbread.
Use the blunt edge of a knife to score the top of the shortbread to indicate 8 equally sized triangles or ‘petticoat tales’.
Use a skewer to pierce a design of little holes within each triangle.
Place the tins in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until pale golden. If you need to bake the shortbread beyond 30 minutes, place a piece of kitchen foil over the top to prevent it browning too much.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tins before turning out onto a board and cutting them along the score lines.