Just the Recipe: Scottish Shortbread
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Scottish Shortbread
Equipment
- Stand mixer with flat beater
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 8 ounces
- 3/4 cup white rice flour 4 ounces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon (4 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into large pieces (2 sticks, 8 ounces)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Have ready an ungreased 9-inch ovenproof pie plate.
- To measure the all-purpose flour, dip dry measures into the flour container, fill to overflowing, and level off.
- To measure the rice flour, set dry measures on a piece of waxed paper, pour the flour into them to overflowing, and sweep off excess.
- Combine both flours, sugar, and salt in the mixer bowl. Add the butter pieces and attach the flat beater.
- Mix on low speed until the dough forms large clumps that look as though they’ll gather into a single mass. This can take as long as 10 minutes!
- Squeeze all the pieces together to form one coherent mass.
- Press evenly into the pie plate and prick all over with a fork. I’m told this helps the shortbread cook evenly.
- Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until the shortbread is an even pale sandy color. It should not be darker than a very pale brown. The edge of the shortbread may be slightly raised. The center will seem soft. The fork marks will have disappeared.
- Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then use a paring knife to release shortbread from sides of pan and cut the cookie into 16 wedges.
- Cool for 30 minutes on a wire rack, then use a paring knife to release shortbread from sides of pan and cut the cookie into 16 wedges.
- Cool completely before removing wedges from the pan. Store airtight. Shortbreads will stay fresh for at least a week. They get crunchier over time.