Shortbread

Shortbread is a traditional Scottish biscuit eaten frequently throughout the nation.

Method:
Mix the butter and sugar together (preferably with a wooden spoon) until it is pale and creamy. Sieve both the flour and the corn flour into the bowl and mix well.

Put a small amount of flour on your working surface and place the dough on this. Shake a little flour on top and roll out about quarter inch thick.

Prick with a fork and cut into rounds with a cutter or, if you want one large shortbread round, pinch the edges with thumb and finger all round.

Use a palette knife to lift the shortbread onto an oiled baking tray and bake for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190 or gas mark 5.

If the biscuits are ready, they will be pale brown and crisp; if not, return to the oven for 5 or 10 minutes. Shake a small amount of caster/granulated sugar on the top of
the shortbread immediately after they have been removed from the oven.

Use a palette knife to move them to a cooling rack and store in an airtight tin once they are cold.

I often use a traditional shortbread mould to form the biscuits, if using a mould flour well to stop sticking.