Scotland: land of the kilts, castles, and sweet mother of Mewtwo best shortbread ever!!!
My first blissful taste of Scottish shortbread happened in a cozy two-apartment AirBnb nestled just outside Edinburgh city center. Our hosts, Alicia and Mauricio,werea lovely couple from Venezualawith an adorable beagle and the best advice on what free shows to see during our four days at the Fringe festival. In true host fashion, they had alsostocked our roomwith a variety of local munchies, ranging from biscuits and candies to–of course–the famous Walkers Scottish shortbread. I ate most of the bag a few for breakfast, along with some cheese rolls that Alicia had shared with me the night before while we were chatting in the living room about old Tom Hanks films. I melted from the moment that I popped that cookie in my mouth–the buttery, crumbly shortbread melted too–and from there it waslove forged on the Highlands for me.
But quick important sidenote! That totally cute teal notebook featured in these photos? It was gifted by my amazing friend Moupi, who messaged me on the day before my trip and (since she knew I wouldn’t have my laptop with me) gave it to me as a way to commemorate my travels! I ended up only using it occasionally on the trip to jot down some of the thoughts I shared in my last postand hastily scribble in my highlights for each day–BUT when I got back, I found that my bag was drowning in asilly pileof ticket stubs, fliers, and pell-mell paper memorabilia from my three-week travels. Cue brilliant idea to organize everything in this notebook: so now I have an entire little journal devoted to my Europe trip! It’s kind of neat to see one of the best experiences of my life neatly encapsulated in scrapbook form so that I can revisit it anytime I want now 🙂 The tickets pictured here are from all of the plays and performances that we saw while we were in Edinburgh.
And also the plaid fabric here is the skirt of my dress lol. I totally wore it in Scotlandlike a total tourist. Sue me.
(Okay, but back to the shortbread story below!)
When I got back to the States and started doing some serious research (read: Googled) about authentic recipes for Scottish shortbread, I was surprised to find that most of them called for brown sugar instead of white sugar andzero leavening: just three ingredients (butter, brown sugar, flour) and nothing else. While I was admittedly skeptical at first because some of my favorite shortbread recipesare basically one big granulated sugar dump, I finally buckled down and made the recipe as stated (with the small addition of salt)–to knee-bucklingly good results! Remind me to never doubt Scottish shortbread loreagain. It’s a dumb thing to do.
For the classic rectangular Scottish shortbread look, you’ll need a well-floured rolling pin and cutting board–but don’t worry, even roll-a-phobic me was able to pull this off in 5 minutes and with little ado. Once you’ve rolled out the dough to a half-inch thickness, simply cut it into 1×3-inch strips and use a fork to poke holes in five or six rows down each cookie. In all, the process from mixing bowl to oven only takes about 20 minutes, so these are also the perfect cookies for a last-minute gift or potluck.
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Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a separate small bowl, combine 1 3/4 flour and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, then use a spatula to gently fold dry into wet until just incorporated.
- Use remaining 1/2 cup flour to dust a large cutting board and rolling pin. Scoop dough onto floured board, then gently knead the dough until nearly all of the flour is incorporated. Use your floured rolling pin to roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 1x3-inch strips. Transfer strips onto prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake shortbread in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden on top and around the edges. Allow to cool on stovetop for an additional few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Cool completely and enjoy!
Related
FAQs
It has been suggested that a French term for the wedges of shortbread was petit* gâteaux or petites gatelles – little cakes, and this became "petticoat tails". It is now thought the Scots term derives from the decorated round edge of the segments which resemble petticoats.
What is the difference between a shortbread cookie and a Scottish shortbread cookie? ›
Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.
What is the world's famous shortbread? ›
Walker's Shortbread is honoured to carry a Royal Warrant, granted by Her Majesty the Queen, for the supply of Shortbread and Oatcakes. Walker's Shortbread is a gift fit for a king, and a treat befitting any special occasion.
What is the significance of shortbread in Scotland? ›
Shortbread was an expensive luxury and for ordinary people, shortbread was a special treat reserved just for special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and New Year. In Shetland it was traditional to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride on the threshold of her new home.
What do Americans call shortbread? ›
Shortbread isn't a bread, it's what we Americans call a cookie. It its homeland across the pond it's a biscuit. The short part of the name is because it's made with a dough rich in fat (preferably really good butter). This is called short dough.
What is the difference between Irish shortbread and Scottish shortbread? ›
Irish Shortbread Is Distinct From Scottish Shortbread
Irish shortbread not only sometimes changes up the butter-to-sugar ratio (possibly going with 2/3 a cup of sugar to 1 cup of butter), but also adds cornstarch in place of some of the flour present in the traditional recipe.
What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›
The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.
What is the secret to good shortbread? ›
Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
- Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
- Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
- Add Flavor. ...
- Don't Overwork. ...
- Shape Dough. ...
- Chill Before Baking. ...
- Bake Until Golden. ...
- Add Finishing Touches.
The health issue for homemade cookies is that they're generally made with refined white flour, butter, and sugar. That's the recipe for shortbread, and the basis for almost all cookies. None of those three ingredients provides any nutritional value.
What is millionaire shortbread called? ›
Caramel shortbread, also known as caramel squares, caramel slice, millionaire's shortbread, millionaire's slice, chocolate caramel shortbread, or Wellington squares is a biscuit confectionery composed of a shortbread biscuit base topped with caramel and milk chocolate.
Scotland has gifted the world with many treasures, including the Loch Ness Monster, stuffed sheep stomach, and the voice of Sheena Easton. Scotland has also given the world shortbread. For something traditionally made with just three ingredients (butter, flour, and sugar), shortbread shouldn't be hard to screw up.
Did Mary Queen of Scots invent shortbread? ›
Shortbread may have been made as early as the 12th Century, however its invention is often attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th Century.
Why is shortbread pricked with a fork? ›
Remove the wrap if you've used it, then use a fork to prick ("dock") the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Prick the dough in a random pattern, or create a pretty design.
What is a fun fact about shortbread? ›
Traditional shortbread comes in either rounds, fingers or “petticoat tails” – delicate triangles cut from a larger circle, made to resemble the petticoats which medieval ladies, like Mary Queen of Scots would have worn. The larger circle shape was the most common historical form, and is said to represent the sun.
What is the Scottish brand of shortbread? ›
Explore and buy delicious all-butter shortbread biscuits from Walker's Shortbread. Delivering the best that Scotland has to offer across the world. Products include shortbread fingers, thistle rounds, Highlanders, chocolate chip shortbread, vanilla shortbread and many more.
What are shortbread petticoat tails? ›
These dainty shortbreads gain their distinctive shape and name by resembling the pieces of fabric used to create the elaborate petticoats of the 12th century – including that of Mary Queen of Scots. These delicious Shortbread Petticoat Tails have the delicious Walker's taste – perfect for sharing.
Did Mary, Queen of Scots invent shortbread? ›
Shortbread may have been made as early as the 12th Century, however its invention is often attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th Century.
