Say ‘shortbread’ and most people automatically think Scotland and thick and generous fingers that melt in the mouth. Deservedly so, of course, as the Scots have charmed the world with the simple perfection of this buttery treat. But shortbreads are made and eaten in many other parts of the globe and come in many guises. I have put together some of my favourites based on classic international traditions as well as a touch or two of my own here and there.
A heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment is the best tool for the recipes that require the butter and sugar to be creamed. A vigorously wielded wooden spoon will make up for the absence of an electric mixer.
As with all the recipes in this book, use good unsalted butter. You will taste it, and much of the flavour of shortbread comes from this simple ingredient. It should be soft, of a spreadable consistency, but not so soft as to be approaching runny.
Handle the dough as lightly as possible for the best results. Overmixing and kneading will toughen it. You can often proceed with the mixer after adding the dry ingredients, finishing it off by hand, but follow the instructions in the individual recipes. The mixer will be cooler than your hands.
Always chill the dough well in the refrigerator before baking, unless the recipe states otherwise. Good chilling will minimise spreading and ensure a neater shape.
Position the rack just below the centre of the oven. The shortbread need to be spaced well apart so that they will not touch after spreading. Use as many baking sheets as it takes, keeping unbaked batches chilled until needed. Light coloured sheets can be greased. If your sheets are dark, use a sheet of baking parchment as insulation, to prevent the bases from browning too much. Remove carefully with a thin flexible spatula and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
In some recipes, I give suggestions about optional ingredients, such as chopped nuts and crystallised ginger, or chocolate for decoration. Allow yourself to be guided by your instincts, but don’t lose sight of the fact that the pure flavours are often the charm of a recipe. Some biscuits don’t need more than a powdering of icing sugar; Green Tea Fingers (see p.209) can take a drizzling or half-dipping in white chocolate, but avoid adding enhancements to the dough.
Shortbread is best eaten fresh or within a few days of baking. It can be stored in an airtight container in a cool place for up to a week, but freezing on the day of baking preserves its freshness best. Remove from the freezer as needed.
For this pure and simple treat, I have used the traditional Scottish proportions of one part sugar to two parts butter to three parts flour. This recipe replaces some of the flour with cornflour for a short texture, but some people prefer more crunch in the form of ground rice or semolina. Note that they are not interchangeable here. For variation, you can add a handful of finely chopped walnuts or stem ginger. Proper chilling will keep some of the spread in check, but these fingers will not have the sharp edges of the commercial product. If you prefer a geometric look, bake as described in the recipe for Double Chocolate Shortbread and cut into fingers instead of bars. Have a look at Petticoat Tails too.
Makes 36
200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225 g/8 oz/1⅔ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting
75 g/2¾ oz/½ cup cornflour
¼ tsp salt
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
Grease 2 baking sheets.
Sift the flour with the cornflour and salt and set aside.
Use a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream the sugar and butter together well. Alternatively, use a vigorous hand. Add the dry mixture a little at a time and stop mixing as soon as you have a very crumbly dough.
Turn the contents of the bowl out onto a lightly floured work surface or a silicone mat. Press lightly with your fingers to make it come together in a ball. It will be quite soft. Gather it up and set to one side while you clean the work surface. If the dough feels too soft to handle, wrap it in clingfilm and chill briefly until it becomes manageable enough to roll out.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface or between 2 sheets of clingfilm to an even thickness of 1 cm/½ in, dusting with flour as needed, and cut into fingers, about 6 x 2 cm/2½ x ¾ in. Press together any trimmings and re-roll as necessary.
Use a bench scraper or thin metal spatula to transfer the fingers carefully to the baking sheets, spacing them well apart as they will spread during baking. Use a fork to prick 3 parallel rows of holes in each finger, then chill for 30 minutes to minimise spread.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.
Bake the biscuits for 25–30 minutes until the edges just begin to colour. Use a flexible spatula to transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool and firm up.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
No shortbread collection would be complete without Scottish Petticoat Tails. They are usually baked in rounds that have been marked into wedges, and if you look at the entire round, it isn’t hard to imagine how the name came about: the fork pricks could be layers of lace and the scalloped edge the swirling hem of an old-fashioned petticoat. An alternative explanation for the name is that it is a corruption of the French petites gatelles that entered Scotland with Queen Mary. Whatever their origin, they are popular as a treat and several traditions are bound to these delicious biscuits. Even in present-day Scotland, few households will be without some of these rounds to offer to New Year’s guests, and in former times a beautifully decorated shortbread also served as a bridal cake in remote rural communities. It was broken over the bride’s head as she entered her new home and her friends were given the pieces to take home and put under their pillows, much as some people still do with wedding cakes.
Makes 2 rounds (16 wedges)
butter, for greasing ingredients as for Classic Shortbread Fingers (see p.205)
caster sugar, for dusting (optional)
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Grease a baking sheet.
Make the dough as described in Classic Shortbread Fingers (see p.205).
Divide the dough into 2 portions and flatten each with a rolling pin or by hand to an even round with a diameter of 15 cm/6 in and a thickness of about 1½ cm/½ in. Press any cracks together with your fingers.
Place the rounds on the baking sheet and neaten the edges, then crimp them with a fork. Use a sharp knife to mark each round into 8 wedges, cutting to about halfway though the cake. Prick 3 parallel rows of holes in each wedge with the fork and bake for about 1 hour, or until pale golden brown and cooked through. If you skimp on the baking time, the centre will stay soft. As a safeguard, you can also separate the wedges with a knife after 45 minutes and return them to the oven for 10 minutes. If you don’t take this previous option, cut all the way to the bottom of the wedges as soon as you take the cakes out of the oven.
Dust the rounds with caster sugar, if you like, and leave them on the sheet until they are firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container.
I love ‘matcha’, Japanese green tea powder, as much for its beautiful colour as its specific flavour. In these buttery biscuits, both are very evident. They can be cut into fingers, but simple leaves are very attractive; use an unfussy cutter to avoid overbrowned edges.
Makes 24, depending on size
250 g/9 oz/generous 1¾ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting (optional)
4 tsp matcha
⅛ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
150 g/5½ oz/scant ¾ cup butter, softened
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
white or dark chocolate, melted, for dipping, optional
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Mix the flour with the matcha, baking powder and salt and set aside.
If possible, use a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar together until lightened in colour. If not, use a wooden spoon and be very thorough. Beat in the egg yolk, then add the dry ingredients and knead briefly by hand or in the mixer until it all comes together and stays together. If the dough feels too soft to handle, wrap it in clingfilm and chill briefly until it becomes manageable enough to roll out.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface or between 2 sheets of clingfilm to an even thickness of 1 cm/½ in, dusting with flour as needed, and cut into fingers about 6 x 2 cm/2½ x ¾ in. Alternatively, cut into ovals and make veins with a knife. Press together any trimmings and re-roll as necessary.
Use a bench scraper or thin metal spatula to transfer the fingers carefully to the baking sheets, spacing them well apart as they will spread during baking. Use a table fork to prick 3 parallel rows of holes in each finger and chill for 30 minutes to minimise spread.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Bake the biscuits for 25–30 minutes until the edges just begin to colour. Use a flexible spatula to transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool and firm up.
If dipping in chocolate, leave one half of the finger/leaf free for a colour contrast.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place.
These rounds are made from refrigerated dough that can be prepared up to a day or two in advance and sliced and baked as needed. Even if you plan to bake them straightaway, be sure to chill the dough well, or the biscuits will not hold their shape. If two sheets will not fit in your oven at the same time, bake them in two batches, keeping the unbaked dough chilled.
Makes about 30
250 G/9 oz/generous 1¾ cups plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
150 g/5½ oz/scant ¾ cup butter, softened
100 g/3½ oz/½ cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
grated zest of ½ a lemon (preferably organic)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
Mix the flour with the baking powder and salt and set aside.
If possible, use a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and sugar together until lightened in colour. If not, use a wooden spoon and be very thorough. Beat in the egg yolk and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients and knead lightly until it all comes together and stays together.
Transfer the dough to a large sheet of baking parchment or greaseproof paper and shape into a sausage. Use the paper to help you roll the sausage into a neat cylinder, about 28–30 cm/11–12 in long.
Chill the dough in the paper for at least an hour, or until it is firm enough to slice.
Unwrap the dough and use a sharp knife to cut it into 1-cm/½-in thick rounds. Neaten the edges with your fingers and space them evenly and well apart on the baking sheets.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the outer edges are golden brown. Transfer the rounds to a wire rack to cool and firm up.
Store in an airtight container.
These thin squares are delicious eaten fresh but even better after a day or two, when the walnut aroma will have blended fully with the other ingredients. Pecans, which have a milder flavour, also work well. And although the thinness gives an attractive snap, there’s nothing to stop you from making them thicker, or in another shape. Remember to adjust the baking time accordingly.
Makes 25
75 g/2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125 g/4½ oz/scant 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
65 g/2¼ oz/¼ cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp beaten egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 g/1¾ oz/¼ cup walnuts, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a baking sheet.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until lightened and fluffy, by hand or with a heavy-duty electric mixer. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Knead in the dry ingredients and walnuts to form a dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out to a 20 x 20-cm/8 x 8-in square. Neaten any untidy edges by pressing with a scraper or metal ruler. Cut the square into 5 strips, each 4 cm/1½ in wide, then repeat at right angles so that you end up with 25 x 4-cm/1½-in squares.
Transfer the squares to the baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Pale, tender shortbreads that melt in the mouth are very much a Middle Eastern speciality. They come plain, flavoured with spices, nuts or flower waters, with cornflour for tenderness or fine semolina for crunch. I have flavoured these with rose water and cardamom, and the perfume will linger deliciously in your mouth. My husband, a pragmatic Dutchman, was moved to remark that the flavours caress the tongue. Good rose water is essential. Enjoy them with a cup of tea or add them to a dessert plate – for instance, fresh summer berries with a dollop of crème fraîche.
Makes 16
90 g/3¼ oz/6 tbsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
100 g/3½ oz/scant ⅓ cup plain flour
50 g/1¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup cornflour
½ tsp ground cardamom
scant ¼ tsp salt
75 g/2¾ oz/⅔ cup icing sugar, sifted, plus extra icing sugar, for dusting
1 tbsp rose water
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Grease a baking sheet.
Sift the flour with the cornflour, cardamom and salt and set aside.
Beat the butter until smooth. Add the icing sugar a little at a time and continue to beat until light and fluffy, using a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a vigorously wielded wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture in 3 or 4 batches, putting in the rose water with the last batch. Continue to beat until soft and smooth.
Divide the dough into 16 portions and roll into balls. Arrange the balls well spaced out on the baking sheet. Do not flatten them. They will flatten themselves gradually as they bake, ending up about 6 cm/2½ in in diameter. Bake for about 25 minutes. Only the edges should colour a little, while the dough stays creamy white. They will be soft and will firm up as they cool. Dust the biscuits with more icing sugar while still on the baking sheet, then use a spatula to remove them carefully and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in an airtight container.
Makes 18 bars
200 g/7 oz/scant 1½ cups plain flour
50 g/1¾ oz/¼ cup (unsweetened)
cocoa powder
25 g/1 oz/scant ½ cup cornflour
¼ tsp salt
200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup butter, softened
125 g/4½ oz/generous 1 cup icing sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
60 g/2¼ oz/2¼ squares white chocolate, melted
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Generously line a 20 x 20-cm/ 8 x 8-in baking tin.
Mix the flour with the cocoa, cornflour and salt and set aside.
If possible, use a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to cream the butter and icing sugar together until lightened in colour. If not, use a wooden spoon and be very thorough. Beat in the vanilla, then add the dry ingredients and knead briefly by hand or in the mixer until it all comes together and stays together.
Press the dough evenly into the tin and use a fork to prick 6 parallel rows of holes all the way to the base. Bake for 35–40 minutes until cooked through. The top will still feel slightly soft. As soon as you remove the tin from the oven, use a thin metal spatula to cut the biscuits into 6 rows of 3. Lift the paper with the bars out of the tin and transfer to a wire rack. After 5–10 minutes, slide the now firmer bars off the paper onto the rack itself. Separate them and leave to cool completely.
To decorate, press them together to form a square again and drizzle the melted chocolate back and forth over the bars with a spoon, or use a piping bag fitted with a very small plain nozzle if you prefer. You want thin lines of white chocolate with open spaces in between, so move quickly back and forth.
Once the chocolate has set properly, they can be stored in an airtight container.
Sekerpare
Syrup is poured over these small shortbread mounds as soon as they come out of the oven, giving them a unique texture that is loose, soft and crunchy, all at the same time. Enjoy them Turkish style with lots of hot tea.
Makes 16
125 g/4½ oz/9 tbsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
250 g/9 oz/generous 1¾ cups plain flour
50 g/1¾ oz/¼ cup fine semolina
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
75 g/2¾ oz/⅔ cup icing sugar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp vanilla extract
16 unskinned almonds or hazelnuts
for the syrup
200 g/7 oz/1 cup granulated sugar
150 ml/5 fl oz/⅔ cup water
¾ tsp lemon juice (strained volume)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a baking sheet with sides.
Mix the flour, semolina, salt and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
Beat together the butter, icing sugar and beaten egg until smooth and creamy. Add the flour mixture and knead lightly to make a softly malleable dough.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape each piece by hand into a ball. Arrange the balls on the baking sheet, leaving enough room for them to spread a little. Press a nut firmly into the centre of each one; elongated nuts should be in a vertical position and only half visible, and bake for about 20 minutes until light golden brown.
Make the syrup while the mounds are baking. Put the sugar, water and lemon juice in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Use about 250 ml/9 fl oz/generous 1 cup for the shortbreads, or to taste.
Remove the mounds from the oven and slowly pour the syrup over them. Move the mounds to one side of the sheet and tilt the sheet so that the excess syrup runs into one corner. Spoon this syrup over the mounds again and repeat once more, so that they are well saturated. Re-position any of the nuts that come loose.
Eat as soon as the shortbreads have cooled, or store in an airtight container for a few days.
Literally ‘Friesian Thumbs’, these nutty, spicy biscuits are a traditional speciality from the northern Dutch province of Friesland and it’s not hard to see how they got their name. The biscuits are now sold by most bakers in the region and few people bother to make what was originally a simple homemade treat, whipped up fresh in next to no time to accompany cups of hot milky coffee. In some areas aniseed is added with a generous hand. If you like aniseed and would like to try that twist, add half a teaspoon of ground aniseed and one teaspoon of whole aniseed to the spice mixture. The chocolate-dipped option is not traditional, but it adds a whole new dimension to this simple treat. I like dark chocolate, but there’s nothing to stop you from using milk or white instead, as long as it has good melting qualities.
Makes 24
125 g/4½ oz/scant 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
⅛tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
⅛ tsp ground allspice
75 g/2½ oz/¾ cup + 2 tbsp caster sugar
50 g/1¾ oz/¼ cup hazelnuts, finely chopped
60 g/2¼ oz/¼ cup (generous ½ stick) butter, softened
1 egg yolk
1½–2 tbsp water, as needed
100 g/3½ oz/3½ squares dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
Sift the flour with the salt and spices and stir in the sugar and hazlenuts. Add the butter, egg yolk and water (as needed) and knead lightly until it all comes together. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1 cm/½ in, dusting lightly with flour if necessary, and cut into 2 x 5-cm/½ x 2-in fingers.
Arrange the fingers on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the sheet and leave to cool on a wire rack.
For the optional chocolate dipping, melt the chocolate in a large teacup or small, narrow bowl in the microwave, using 30-second bursts of power and stirring well as soon as you see signs of melting. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water and transfer it to a smaller cup or bowl if necessary. A small, narrow container makes it easier to coat more of the biscuit with chocolate in a single movement.
Spread a large sheet of baking parchment on your work surface. Dip one end of each biscuit into the chocolate, so that almost half of it is covered with chocolate. Place on the baking parchment and leave to firm up.
Once completely firm, lift carefully from the paper and eat immediately or store in an airtight container. They will keep for at least a week.
