aran goirid Albannach, true scottish shortbread

Recipe by Ethan UK

True Scottish Shortbread Recipe by Ethan, UK 

READY IN: 1hr 5mins   SERVES: 28 YIELD: 28-30 Pieces 

INGREDIENTS  

7 ounces plain flour or 7 ounces all-purpose flour 

2 ounces sugar

4 ounces butter (or any vegan butter, ie. almond) 

1 pinch salt (small) 

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift/sieve the flour into a bowl and add the pinch of salt. Put aside for the moment. . .
2. Using butter, grease the baking tray well and put it aside for the moment. Yield for fingers (much preferred) is around a 7 to 8 inch square. For Petticoat Tails it will yield a chunky 8 inch circle.
3. Pre-heat the oven (Gas Mark 3 (325F / 165C degrees)).
4. Put the butter (if using unsalted butter then ADD a pinch of salt to it) into a medium-size mixing bowl and mash it with a fork until it is soft and creamy without lumps. But don’t let your hand heat warm it so much it starts to get runny. If you do, then put the bowl complete with butter & fork into the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes to cool it, then take it out and mash quickly again until smooth and creamy with no lumps.
5. Add the sugar and mix it in well, and quickly.
6. Add the salted flour a VERY little at a time – mixing it in with the fork to start with, but do this quickly.
7. Knead well (on a very lightly floured surface). I was advised: knead for several minutes, and that the longer you knead, the better the shortbread will be. I usually aim for kneading for anything up to 10 minutes 
8. Put it into the fridge for a couple of minutes to chill it slightly before resuming.
9. Roll the mixture out to shape and size of the tray. For fingers, roll out to about 1/2 inch thick or perhaps even slightly thicker (this sounds awfully thick I know!, but it is important as if you go thinner it will affect the texture, and amazingly, the taste). For petticoat tails it needs to be a little under 1/2 inch thick to yield a chunky circle of about 7 to 8 inches.
10. For fingers: prick all over with a fork and put it into baking tray. Do try to use one that can fit exactly, or one that at least three sides of the mixture fit snugly against, as any outer edges that don’t butt right up against the sides of a tray tend to get a bit over-baked.
11. For petticoat tails: using fork prongs, from the outer edge towards the centre, indent the top about a 1/2 inch all the way round to give it a nice crinkly edge – sort of like the teeth on a cogwheel, then prick all the way round the middle ideally rotating the fork or the pastry (or yourself!) to give a pretty effect when cut. Carefully lift and support the decorated circle and place and fit snugly into the circular baking tray. Score lightly (to about halfway downwards to bottom of the tray) into eight equal segments.
12. Bake until [] for about 45 minutes at Gas Mark 3 (325F / 165C degrees). When it’s starting get a bit dark around the edges it’s probably beginning to get a bit overdone already. Basically cook until it’s just starting to darken round the edges then get it out quick and cool it – I usually place the hot tray on a very cold surface until cool.
13. Whilst still quite warm in the tray, mark across and cut into finger-shaped pieces (if not making petticoat tails) – but leave them there in the tray, cut and together until fully cold.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Just on its own with a nice cup of tea or coffee, but also scrumptious on a plate with and/or dunked into a generous helping of creamy Cornish Dairy ice-cream and strawberries, jam (jelly) or fresh fruit.
https://www.food.com/recipe/true-scottish-shortbread-120644#activity-feed