Close
Tweet
Ingredients
| unsalted butter: 1 1/4 cups (cold) |
| powdered sugar (unsifted): 1/4 cup |
| granulated sugar: 1/4 cup |
| all-purpose flour (unsifted): 2 1/2 cups |
Scottish Shortbread
Credit: Food.com
User rating:
-
Prep Time
10 min -
Cook Time
60 min -
Servings
16 serving(s)
Tags
- Set oven rack to middle position.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Have two ungreased 8-inch cake pans ready.
- Food Processor Method.
- Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes, wrap it, and refrigerate.
- Process the sugars for 1 minute or so, until the sugar is very fine.
- Add the butter and pulse until the sugar disappears.
- Add the flour and pulse until there are a lot of moist, crumbly little pieces and no dry flour particles remain.
- Dump the mixture into a plastic bag and press it together.
- Remove the dough from the plastic bag and knead it lightly until it holds together.
- Electric Mixer or by Hand.
- Use superfine granulated sugar for the best texture and be sure to soften the butter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugars.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy.
- With your fingers or with the electric mixer, mix in the flour until the mixture holds together.
- If using the mixer, add the flour in 2 parts.
- For Both Methods.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.
- Pat each half into an ungreased 8-inch round cake pan.
- Use the tines of a fork to press 3/4-inch lines radiating like rays of sun all around the perimeter of the dough.
- Prick the rest of the dough all over with the tines of the fork.
- (this keeps the shortbread even and creates the traditional design).
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until pale golden (do not brown).
- For even baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.
- Cool in the pans, on a wire rack, for 10 minutes.
- Invert the shortbread onto flat cookie sheet and slide it onto a cutting board.
- While still warm, use a long sharp knife to cut each 8-inch round of shortbread into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
- Transfer the wedges to wire racks to cool completely.