Traditional Rich Scottish Shortbread Biscuits - Cookies

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 12 ounces plain flour
• 4 ounces caster sugar
• 8 ounces butter
• extra caster sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Recipe

• 1 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!
• 2 then start to knead the paste, pushing it together to form a smooth dough - the heat of your hands whilst kneading helps it form.
• 3 petticoat tails:.
• 4 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.
• 5 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.
• 6 (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).
• 7 shortbread fingers:.
• 8 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.
• 9 (please note: the fingers are always thicker than the petticoat tails and shortbread rounds).
• 10 shortbread rounds:.
• 11 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.
• 12 wooden shortbread mould:.
• 13 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.
• 14 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!
• 15 sprinkle extra caster sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven if you wish.
• 16 allow the shorbread bicuits to cool slightly on a cooling rack, before cutting into fingers or "petticoat tails".
• 17 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!