Very traditional shortbread

[redsnake05]

I have been getting more excited about very very traditional baking recently, and this delicious shortbread recipe is now a staple in my biscuit tin. It is ridiculously short and keeps extremely well.

Ingredients

175g butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar (powdered or confectioner's sugar)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch, I think people in the US would call it)

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees C

Cream butter and icing sugar together until very pale.

Sift in flour and cornflour and gently mix (I find a spatula easiest). Do not beat or knead.

As soon as it is holding together, tip out onto some baking paper. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and roll to desired thickness (about 1cm or a bit less is my ideal).

Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

Cut into shapes as desired and place on a baking tray. Roll the excess out again and make more.

Bake on a rack about 2/3 of the way up the oven, not in the middle, for about eight minutes until the edges are just starting to turn the slightest bit brown (my oven is very brisk, you may need longer; let the colour be your guide). Remove and leave to cool.

These biscuits usually taste better the next day and can be stored in an airtight container for about four or five days.

The dough can be frozen. Thaw before use and shape as usual.

Comments

[acelightning]

This is very traditional indeed, and can be made many different ways. Instead of bothering to cut shapes, for example, you can pack the dough into either a round or square cake pan (baking tin?). Press it down very firmly with your fingers, and try to get the top as level as possible. Prick it all over with a fork - make a design if you'd like. Use a table knife to cut it all the way through without disturbing it - make wedge shapes in a round pan, "fingers" or squares in a square pan. When they're baked, let the entire pan cool on a rack until completely cooled, then very gently turn them out onto a flat surface. Carefully turn the whole piece of dough right-side-up and use a sharp knife to cut into pieces along the lines.

A bit of vanilla extract in the dough, though it's not completely traditional, brings out the buttery flavor very nicely.

[redsnake05]

My north-of-the-british-isles friends swear by the cake-style technique, too, though only two fork pricks! Or, if one is feeling extra fancy, one may use one's grandmother's thistle pattern press. According to them, if one does not have an inherited press, one must be content with a fork. On the other hand, I'm the only one of them who actually bakes decent shortbread, so I think I do alright.

[acelightning]

I'm rather thoroughly American, although my paternal great-grandfather was from Scotland. But good plain shortbread is so easy to make! And there are all sorts of delicious variations I've heard of or read. Almond extract instead of vanilla, and/or finely ground almonds for part of the flour, and/or almond halves pressed into the top. Any spice you like (e.g., cinnamon or nutmeg), in moderation, blended into the dough. A sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar on the top before baking. Chopped nuts and/or miniature chocolate chips mixed in. Even cocoa or melted chocolate blended into the dough - chocolate shortbread is one of the most decadent simple things I can think of :-)

[redsnake05]

Blasphemy. Next thing you know, you'll be saying I can enjoy it with a cup of coffee, or some swishy flavoured tea, instead of a decent brew of tea that's been boiled for hours over an open peat fire.

Personally, I dislike variations on shortbread, though I know lots of people who like them. It's one of the few areas of baking in which I am a traditionalist. I didn't realise I had feelings about this until quite recently, when the local Scottish heritage festival had a shortbread competition, with a category for alcoholic *shudders*

[acelightning]

Well, it's not as if I'm advocating dunking it in whiskey! (Waste of good whiskey, that would be!) ;-)

[redsnake05]

I am delighted that we can agree on the proper care and attention that whiskey deserves *nods*

[matgb]

There is such a thing as good whiskey?

Now, a good whisky, yes, that needs looking after ;-)

[wendelah1]

Are you criticizing the spelling or implying something about quality and country of origin?

[matgb]

Criticising is harsh, joking about it. Scottish whisky is spelt without, Irish and American whiskeys with the e, and I have never understood why.

[wendelah1]

Chocolate shortbread sounds good to me!

[acelightning]

Just swap the cornstarch for unsweetened cocoa powder, and sift the mixture very thoroughly before adding it to the butter/sugar base, and include 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract. And watch it carefully while baking, because chocolate scorches easily. Gods, now I want to go make some myself, but it's too hot to bake :-(

[st_aurafina]

This is how my nana made it - except she used rice flour instead of corn flour. And it really does take at least a day to get to that nice shortbread taste - on the first day, I can only taste butter and flour.

[redsnake05]

I agree, the first day is too powdery and not quite right. I have to stop myself eating them warm out of the oven every time.

[popelaksmi]

Thank you for posting - I shall try your recipe!

[redsnake05]

I hope you enjoy it!