Shortbread Day: Our Recipe!

Have you ever made your own shortbread, or tasted Scotland’s greatest treat? I suspect it is more appetizing than haggis to many.

Mary Queen of Scots brought a touch of French class to Scotland’s baked goods heritage when she suggested the addition of sugar. I like to imagine how the Reformers in her court responded to this young, suspiciously Catholic woman arriving to take the throne, then proposing such continental decadence. With her large, hooped dresses, the version of shortbread baked in a single round, then divided into triangles, is still named “petticoat tails” in her honor.
If you’d like to sample shortbread at a traditional afternoon tea, or dance the night away in Queen Mary’s Palace at Linlithgow, visit our website to find out how to join us in Scotland this summer!

It’s time to invite you to share in our national biscuit (UK use of the word) with an exclusive and detailed recipe: One part sugar, two parts butter, three to four parts plain flour (four is ideal if you use good butter). Yes, that’s as complicated as it needs to get. It’s more of a cultural experience than a recipe, really. Bake your cultural experience for around 20 minutes at 325°F (160°C).

Of course, there are minor additional steps. For best results, you can use salted butter, or add a pinch of salt (better for controlling the amount). Chilling the dough before rolling out and cutting into fingers (to around 1/2 inch thickness) will keep the fat in the biscuit for maximum crumbliness (that’s the all-important “short” texture). Take a fork and prick the shortbread all over before baking, to make sure that steam escapes, keeping the shortbread dense.

If you’re especially adventurous, you can use brown sugar, add vanilla essence or other flavorings, chopped nuts, grated lemon zest, or any other exciting additions that I’m too Scottish to try. Last year, I encountered shortbread with milk chocolate chips and had a minor cultural crisis over its deliciousness. If you make your cookies thinner, you can cook them at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time.

For the authentic Mary Queen of Scots version, roll out into a circle and bake in a lined cake pan, scoring deep lines across the dough (like pizza slices) into eight or more slices – the petticoat tails! Then sprinkle with sugar before serving.

Many happy Scottish childhood memories involve a family friend or neighbour handing in homemade shortbread at this time of year, nominally in petticoat tail form but never properly breaking along the lines!
Join us in Scotland to eat your way around the nation!