Scottish Shortbread, for Hogmanay

A large Scottish shortbread “cookie”,

Contains:  Wheat, gluten, added sugars.  Is: A dessert, nut free.  

This is also one of the few desserts in the category of cakes or cookies or pastries that I can eat upon being sourced from a commercial resource (although professional bakeries are usually fine for other items).  Just about all the others one finds in supermarkets have me experiencing belly pain.  But perhaps the answer is in the simplicity – The Walker brand of these things list just THREE ingredients:  Flour.  Sugar.  Butter.  Which right here puts to the test any gluten-intolerance I had thought to be a personal problem once ago.  For me, that is not my case.  (I do choose to limit gluten because I think that the protein can be slowly insidious for some.)  Apparently my issue with supermarket “goodies” of that nature is either a preservative, or perhaps types of faux butter.

Well.  At any rate, January’s recipes will be a month of no gluten, no grains, no dairy, no added sugars with regards to this blog.  (I am not going to be doing a true Whole30, as I have a couple pre-planned outings involving food at other people’s homes during that time, although I’ve done this plan twice in the past.)  But let’s get back to the Scottish shortbread cookies, to see in the Scottish New Year!

Butter and sugar (and vanilla).

Do use real butter – its cooking properties in a dish like this are important, quite apart from potential “lead on the belly” sensations a few of us have.  I will be adding a little real vanilla extract to this recipe.  That will make it a fourth ingredient, but consider it optional.   It’s not a totally traditional addition.

Mixture of the butter, sugar and flour (and vanilla), prior to chilling and cooking.

---

The celebration of Hogmanay is a traditional Scottish event, and it focuses in on the welcoming of the New Year.   I’ll discuss this a bit more in my next Scottish food post, which will appear within a day or two.

Inspirations.  I also added a bit of vanilla, as some other recipes suggested this.

https://www.thespruceeats.com/scottish-shortbread-recipe-3060796

https://eugeniekitchen.com/shortbread/

Prep Time:  1 hour, 15 minutes.
Cook  Time:  45-55 minutes.
Rest Time: Until cool. 
Serves:  30 plus cookies.
Cuisine:  Scottish.
Leftovers?:  Yes, store at room temp in a enclosed container/cookie tin.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

• 1 cup / 225 g room temperature salted butter 
• 1 cup  / 235 mL granulated sugar 
• 3  cups /  710 mL all-purpose flour, divided.
• Optional:  0.25 – 0.5 teaspoon real vanilla extract.  

Add the softened salted butter into a large mixing bowl and whisk to spread it out. .

Then add the sugar and optional vanilla, and mix until the mixture is homogeneously combined.  (I got impatient and nuked this for 30 seconds…)

Add in 2.5 cups / 590 mL of the flour,  and fold to combine. When the mixture looks mixed, transfer to a clean working surface and knead briefly. Knead as little as possible to make tender shortbread. Then form a ball and flatten a little. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour to relax the flour in the dough.

Lay out the rest of the flour on a clean surface, and work the chilled dough into it.   Roll dough until 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick or a little less.  You can cut the dough now, or put it in an ungreased pan as a whole item.  I chose the latter (using two glass pie pans).  Pierce with a fork hither and yon, as this will help this bake evenly.

Bake at 275 F / 135 C for 50-55 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Remove, and allow to cool completely before cutting. into individual cookies or slices.  Otherwise, as I discovered, they’ll crumble!

This turned out sweeter than I’d prefer, but most folk will be satisfied.

---

 

SHARED WITH:  The local community center, as while I like this recipe, I am seriously NOT a sweet tooth!

Fiesta Friday (co-host Mollie @ Frugal Hausfrau).

Farm Fresh Tuesdays