Scottish Shortbread

I really like books, I love books in fact. My uncle used to complain that I always had my head in books; it made me feel like Matilda. This recipe comes from one of my favourite books; my mums handwritten journal of recipes, it’s lost it’s covers but when I was younger I would flip through it. Mostly with disgust, as there were a lot of fish recipes in there and beyond tuna I did not care for fish at all as a child.

But having returned to it with a slightly more open mind, it’s a pot of gold (she’s Irish – she will hate that reference)(hilarious). This recipe is adapted but with help from the original author, so keeping it in the family.

Shortbread requires afternoon tea, it’s an occasion, a buttery, flakey occasion. Shortbread is Scottish to the very core, it’s a celebration of ingredients that are rich and rare, no need to add to perfection really. Much like Scottish wilderness; it cuts the crap and just is.

Recipes for it look the same but different in bits here and there. This one uses rice flour.

Goodness I need a juice cleanse after all of this sweet food! Scottish Shortbread
The Goods
125gr butter (at room temperature)
55gr caster sugar
40gr rice flour
130gr plain flour

Down to Business
Begin by sifting the flours together in a medium bowl (enough to put all of the ingredients in) and placing in the freezer. Preheat the oven to 150 degree centigrade.

Beat the butter on medium until pale and creamy, add the sugar and continue beating until combined. At this point take the flour out and add the butter mixture to it.
With your hands rub the mixture together until mixed. The dough should be sandy with big clumps.
Place this mixture back into the freezer for 5/10 minutes. This gives you time to do some dish washing (mum approved), as well as the next step.

Prepare your tart tray (preferably with a removable base) by lining the base with baking paper. After the dough/sand has chilled, dump it into the prepared tart tray and press down with your fingers. Mark the dough with a fork to give that classic rim and mark into triangles.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a slightly pale golden colour. Do not let brown.
Remove and allow to chill for 10 minutes before removing from tart tin and slicing along the guidelines.

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