Shortbread

[Graye]

Every year we have just a few "Brit" treats at Christmas for passing visitors - mince pies, Christmas cake etc. It usually amuses the locals!

I would love to make some shortbread this year but can't find the single recipe I once had on a sheet of paper tucked into another book. I made some in Spain once and the Spanish hated it almost to a man, not sweet enough and too buttery apparently. I thought that was what is was all about but they DO have very sweet teeth (?tooths?). Does anyone have one for the really basic, lovely, crumbly stuff please?

[Loobyloo]

Got one at home, but am at work at the mo so will post it later for you.

Being a Scot I have a great love of Shortbread and am planning to make some tomorrow!

[LBR]

My standard recipe has these proportions:


1/2 sugar
1 butter
2 flour
pinch of salt (I sometimes leave out the salt.)

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I usually bake it flat in a pie pan and score it. I've also patted it into small round cookie shapes and baked it.

I've occasionally added candied ginger or lemon rind.

I vary the ingredients according to who I'm giving it to. Most folks like refined flour and refined sugar. I use whole wheat pastry flour and organic sugar for a friend. Some use confectioner's (powdered) sugar.

[Annpan]

4oz butter
6oz Gluten free flour (or 4oz plain flour +2oz rice flour)
2oz caster sugar

work into a dough, roll out, cut to size, pierce with fork...

bake at 150C for 20 mins

sprinkle with more caster sugar while still warm.



I use this recipe all the time, my MIL is coeliac and loves it, but we all eat it too, I think because the flour is supposed to be mixed anyway GF flour works particularly well.

Enjoy


posted at the same time as LBR

[contadina]

That sounds familiar Gaye - Italians never trust anyone but their mamas to cook their usual food, let alone anything made by an English woman, but as they have sweet teeth, I rely on the usual suspects to give them. Big hits so far have been mince pies (in fact I have orders for them this year), shortbread, flapjacks, scones, hot cross buns, crumble, trifle, bread pudding, bread and butter pudding, cheesecake and Christmas cake. I'm really tempted to try them with figgy pudding this year, but think the whole heat in a bain-marie might be too alien for them.

[prawncracker]

Substitute some of the flour for some soft wheat semolina, also known as farina, for a shorter crunchier shortbread

try
8 oz (200g) flour
8 oz (200g) butter
4 oz (100g) semolina
4 oz (100g) caster sugar

My mum always says it should be so crumbly as you spread it in the tray that it is held together by sweat and tears. yum

180 c for 15 to 20 minutes