Authentic Scottish Shortbread
Submitted by pgoodman
Authentic Scottish shortbread is a four-ingredient classic of unsalted butter, sugar, flour, and cornstarch baked low and slow into pale, sandy wedges. The traditional petticoat tails for tea time.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
35 minREADY
60 minReal Scottish shortbread follows the rule of three: three parts flour, two parts butter, one part sugar. This version adds a generous portion of cornstarch to deliver that signature sandy, melt-on-the-tongue texture you can’t fake with all-purpose alone.
The two non-negotiable techniques are the low-temperature bake and the no-color rule. Baking at just 225°F (110°C) for 35 minutes dries the shortbread out slowly without ever browning it. Real Scottish shortbread should come out the color of pale straw, never golden. Browning means tougher, less crumbly cookies that taste of caramelized sugar instead of pure butter.
Unsalted butter at room temperature is essential. Salted butter throws off the salt level and cold butter won’t cream properly with the sugar.
The traditional shape is petticoat tails: a 12-inch round scored into eight wedges. The score lines act as natural break points after baking, when the still-warm shortbread gets sprinkled with the reserved sugar and broken into pieces.
Kitchen Tips
- Cream the butter and sugar until truly light and fluffy. Underbeating gives you a dense, heavy shortbread.
- Don’t skip the 1-hour chill. Cold dough holds the round shape and bakes more evenly.
- Score the wedges deeply but don’t cut all the way through. Full cuts let the wedges spread apart in the oven.
- Sprinkle the second 2 tablespoons of sugar over the shortbread the moment it comes out of the oven. The residual heat melts the sugar slightly into a sparkly crust.
Variations
- Stir 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon zest into the dough for a brighter, citrus-laced version.
- Press a few flecks of dried lavender or 1 tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary into the dough for an herbal twist.
- Dip half of each cooled wedge in dark chocolate for a decadent finish.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy.
Sift together the flour and cornstarch and gradually mix into the creamed butter.
Gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Trace a 12-inch circle on a large baking sheet.
Pat out the chilled dough to fit the circle, taking care that the top is even and smooth.
Score the top of the pastry into 8 equal wedges. Press decorative designs into the edges, if desired.
Bake the shortbread in the upper middle of the oven for 35 minutes; do not allow to color.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and let cool on the sheet. Break into wedges before serving.
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