Janet Keiller has a shop on the south side of the Seagate in Dundee where she has spent the best part of her life – besides raising seven children – making preserves, jellies, biscuits, sweeties and cakes. She has always believed in diversifying into unique lines and it has certainly paid off. Now she is almost 60 and is ready to retire. She has a tidy sum put by and is keen to use it to help her son, James, develop the business. He is the only son who has shown an interest in her enterprise and has also developed her innovative flair. He is just 22 when she hands over the running of the Keiller shop in 1797.
Marmalade, of course, becomes the Keiller’s biggest success story (see p180). But as the small city shop grows into a factory, marmalade can only be made for a few months in the year when the Spanish fruit ripens. There are factory hands to be kept busy for the rest of the year and so James Keiller continues with his mother’s good sweeties, soft fruit preserves made from the fruit grown in the Dundee hinterland – and cakes.
Soon, Keiller’s Dundee Cake becomes as popular as their marmalade. Quality ingredients, which the family pride themselves on using throughout their range, are used for the cake. Of course they use the best butter and the finest sultanas. But it is the flavouring of preserved orange peel – saved from the marmalade making – and the cake studded on top with roasted whole almonds that give it the Janet Keiller unique selling point.
According to David Goodfellow, of Dundee bakers Goodfellow and Steven, the Keiller’s Dundee Cake recipe was passed on by an old master baker who had worked for Keiller’s, and wrote it down before going off to fight in the First World War. There are no cherries and no spices, just a buttery rich sultana cake flavoured with orange peel and almonds.
On the coal-less Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, ovens are a rarity. ‘Bread’ is baked on a girdle over the gentle heat of a peat fire by all nineteenth-century crofters. Not a soft yeasty loaf, but a hard oatmeal ‘cake’ that these Gaelic speakers call a ‘bonnach’ (bannock) and non-Gaelic Scotland calls an ‘oatcake’. This ‘cake’ refers back to the old meaning – a ‘cake of bread’ which is thin, flat, round and usually baked hard – as in something ‘caked’ hard, such as a cake of soap.
Their Hebridean ‘bonnach’ is much thicker and heavier than the Lowland version and they often use it as travelling food. It is easy to carry and is eaten with butter and cheese. Not a hard-pressed, mature cheese as found in the Lowlands, but the soft, fresh, crofter’s crowdie.
It is a fine feast of textures and flavours in hard, mealy oatcake and soft, citric cheese. Even better if there is a layer of creamy butter in-between. With a glass of milk, it is a meal that sustains them for many an hour’s hard labour:
‘They make a kind of bread, not unpleasant to the taste, of oats, and barley, the only grain cultivated in these regions, and, from long practice, they have attained considerable skill in moulding the cakes,’ says G Buchanan in his Description of Scotland (1629).
‘Of this they eat a little in the morning, and then contentedly go out a-hunting, or engage in some other occupation, frequently remaining without any other food till evening.’
Their crowdie-making was part of a pastoral system where every crofter had at least one milking cow. Spring and summer were the peak times of production, the cheese was made without rennet or souring agents, but followed the natural division of the milk into curds and whey. It’s an old lifestyle which may have gone, but the crofter’s crowdie is still made by Scottish cheese makers. Its method was recorded in an anonymous collection of Lewis recipes, said to have been collected by a teacher at the Nicholson Institute in Stornoway, possibly during the 1960s:
‘Set a pan with freshly sour or thick milk on a slow heat and watch till it curdles, not letting it simmer or boil or it will harden. When set, let it cool before drawing off the whey. Use a muslin cloth. When whey is completely squeezed out, mix crowdie with a little salt until you find it very soft in your hands, mix with cream or top of milk and set out in dishes. The mixture can also be pressed in a colander to remove whey and a weight placed on top. The crowdie can then be sliced like cheese.’
Sir Walter Scott is dead some 30 years when Queen Victoria calls for tea with his granddaughter, still living at Abbotsford in 1867. The tea table is spread with a fine array of Scottish baking from light, floury scones to rich gingerbread. What interests the Queen, however, is the round, golden sultana bun with the wonderful buttery flavour. She has one slice and is hooked, eating nothing else from the tea table.
The bun that has just received such enthusiastic royal approval is, of course, a Selkirk Bannock. Bannocks from Selkirk were already something of a speciality and Scott himself mentions them in The Bride of Lammermoor:‘Never was such making of car-cakes (Scots crumpets) and sweet scones and Selkirk bannocks,’ he says. But the one made for the Queen’s tea comes from a particularly skilled local baker, Robbie Douglas, whose fame is spread far and wide.
Royal seals of approval notwithstanding, it is Robbie Douglas’s search for perfection that is the more important factor in ensuring the bannock’s long term success.
‘Robbie’s first bannock,’ says F M McNeill in The Scots Kitchen (1929), ‘was much more than a mere mixture of flour, butter and fruit. He found that the flavour was influenced by different butters, and finally he chose a butter made from milk produced on certain neighbouring pastures. If for any reason this butter could not be procured, well, no bannocks were made. That was one reason why there were no bannocks during war-time. Similarly with the sultanas. They had to be of a certain kind, specially imported from Turkey.’
McNeill includes a traditional recipe: ‘Make or procure from the baker two pounds of dough. Into this rub eight ounces of butter and flour of lard until melted but not oiled; then work in eight ounces of castor sugar and two pounds of sultanas. Mould in the form of a large round bun, place in a buttered tin, let it stand in a warm place for thirty minutes to rise, and bake in a moderate oven until lightly browned (about an hour and a quarter).’
Described as ‘a soft, flat cake of barley meal, oatmeal or flour’, the first mention of a ‘scone’ is in 1549. Its origins appear to be Germanic, from ‘schoonbrot’, meaning ‘fine bread’. It was a Glasgow tea merchant, however, who provided the meeting place for tea and scones.
Stuart Cranston had already been selling ‘sampling’ cups of tea to his customers at 44 St Enoch Square when he decided to open a proper tearoom in 1875. It was the beginning of a flourishing tearoom era in the city. Though he created the first, it was his sister, Kate Cranston, aided by the architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who is credited with inventing the tearoom. Mackintosh’s avant garde interiors, and Cranston’s stylish teas – both ‘afternoon’ and ‘high’ – achieved sight-of-the-city status with art-lovers from all over Europe making a pilgrimage to the city for a Cranston tea in a Mackintosh setting. The Scottish scone, including its many variants, taking its place on elegant, tiered cake stands.
Aberdeen Rowie (roll) or Butterie Golden: Rustic, misshapen, crispy, salty and flaky, this is Scotland’s peasant version of the aristocratic French croissant. Rowies, like croissants, depend for their character on layers of fat – originally butcher’s dripping, though today’s are made with vegetable fat – between thin layers of yeast dough. They were made originally for fishermen at sea who needed a roll with a longer keeping quality. While it’s known in the North-East as a rowie, its national tag is butterie, though it has never contained butter. Its texture should be very crisp and flaky, though some bakers make a less crisp more ‘bready’ version which is not regarded by aficionados as a ‘real’ rowie. A ‘wee’ rowie is half-sized. Two stuck together with butter is a ‘double’ rowie. A bag of bities is a bag of broken rowies. A ‘cremated’ rowie is a well-fired rowie. The first literary mention of a ‘butterie’ is recorded in the Scottish National Dictionary in an account of an Arbroath Street seller (circa 1899). ‘Between butteries, Rob Roys (a kind of Bath Bun), an’ turnovers, her basket was weel filled.’
Abernethy Biscuit: A pale golden, shortbread-type biscuit, pricked on top and made with reduced butter and sugar. Its name comes, not from the town of Abernethy, but from a Scots surgeon John Abernethy (1764-1831) who suggested the recipe to his local baker.
Bannock: A round, unleavened bread of barley and/or oats made in the days before raising agents. For most of Scotland, oats and barley were the staple crops, but in the more fertile areas with a drier, warmer climate wheat was also used. The bannock was usually rolled out to fit the size of the family girdle, and baked over an open peat fire. It was the early Scots equivalent of an oven-baked loaf. While this was the everyday bannock, special bannocks were made for festive occasions – its round shape was symbolic of the cycle of life, death and resurrection. The Beltane bannock, baked on May Day, was also coated in a symbolic custard made of eggs – so the hens would lay – milk – so the cows would produce milk – and grain – so the crops would grow. Variations of this custom were practiced around the country.
Border Tart: A shortcrust pastry flan filled with a mixture of dried fruit, sugar, melted butter and egg. When baked it is usually coated with white water icing. Ecclefechan Butter Tart is a variation.
Cumnock Tart: A sweet variation of the Scotch pie, made with apples or rhubarb. It was originally made by an Ayrshire baker, Mr Stoddart, around 1920 and is presently made by Hugh Bradford of Glasgow, whose father was apprenticed to Mr Stoddart. It’s a hand-crafted, oval-shaped, double-crust individual tart with a sugary-browned surface and lightly burnt edges.
Glasgow Roll: A morning roll with a hard outer surface and a light, very open, well-aerated texture inside. Sometimes described as a ‘chewy’ roll. It was specially designed as a roll for hot fillings, with its hard crust and airy centre. The traditional filling was bacon and egg or square sausage and egg. It’s made with a very high gluten flour and is entirely hand-crafted. The largest bakery in Glasgow makes 300,000 a night.
Kirriemuir Gingerbread: This was first made by Walter Burnett in Kirriemuir who sold his recipe to a large plant baker in East Kilbride near Glasgow in the 1940s. It was made in this bakery until 1977 when the recipe was sold again to Bell’s of Shotts who continue to make it. It is a light-textured, dumpling-type gingerbread which is sweetly-malted and lightly-spiced.
Parkin: Also known as ‘perkin’. The recipes vary according to the baker but they range from thick, biscuity cakes to thin, hard biscuits. They are a light, ginger-brown, with a sweet, ginger flavour and most have some oatmeal added.
Softie: This is an East Coast description for a round bun. The name was used to distinguish it from a hard, crisp ‘rowie’. It contains double the amount of sugar that is in a plain bap.
Square Loaf: A loaf specially designed for making ‘pieces’ (sandwiches) that fit into a square lunch box. It is also known as a ‘plain’ loaf (distinguished from a ‘pan’ loaf which used to be considered a posher version, since it was made in a tin, and became a slang term for those who had aspirations above their station), or ‘batch bread’ in a system of baking bread where the loaves are tightly packed on a tray and rise upwards rather than outwards giving them their tall shape. It is the half slice which is square.
Water Biscuit: A thick, circular biscuit that is made in Orkney. They are an irregular cream to pale golden colour, blistered in places with gold-brown bubbles and docked with small holes. They are a rich, nutty flavour and are extremely crisp with a flaky texture. A development of the old ship’s biscuit, they were originally used as a bread substitute.
Cook’s Tip: These are best made with Scots oatmeal which has the finest flavour because the kernels ripen slowly, intensifying their flavour.
Yield: 12
200g (7oz) medium oatmeal
50g (2oz) plain flour, sifted
75ml (2½fl oz) boiling water
40g (1½oz) softened vegetable cooking fat or butter
1 level teaspoon honey or sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Lightly oil two baking sheets or a round (8 inch) or rectangular (7 × 11 inch) baking tin.
MIXING: Put the oatmeal and flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Measure the boiling water into a pan and cut up the fat into small pieces. Add the fat to the boiling water and heat (this can also be heated in the microwave). Add honey or sugar and pour all the liquid into the dry ingredients. Mix until it forms a soft pliable dough, adding more boiling water if it is too stiff. It should not crack when rolled out.
SHAPING – METHOD 1: Divide the dough into three pieces. While still hot, roll thinly into two rounds about 18cm (7 inch) diameter. Cut each round into 4 triangles (farls). Place on baking tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until they turn a light, sandy colour. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin.
METHOD 2: Place the dough in a round or rectangular tin and press out thinly, then spread evenly with a palate knife. Cut into six or eight (squares in the rectangular tin or triangles in the round tin). Bake as for method 1.
Once the everyday bread of the whole country – originally without raising agents – these are now mostly made in Orkney, Shetland and some of the islands. The flour is milled on Orkney and at Golspie in Sutherland.
Yield: 1 large round
175g (6oz) beremeal (barley flour)
50g (2oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
250ml (9fl oz) buttermilk or fresh milk soured with a tablespoon of lemon juice
Pre-heated girdle: The girdle is ready when you hold your hand above the surface and it is pleasantly hot. Another test is to dust with flour which should colour slightly. If it burns too quickly, it is too hot.
MIXING AND BAKING: Sift all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the buttermilk and mix with a knife to a soft elastic dough. Flour the work surface and roll the dough out into one round about 1cm (½ inch) thick. Sprinkle the girdle with a thin layer of beremeal and bake the bannock on both sides (three to four minutes on each side) until cooked through. Remove and wrap in a towel to keep warm and soft. Serve warm with butter and farmhouse cheese.
Shortbread was raised to ‘flour confectionery’ status by the Scottish Master Bakers Association who considered it a class above the common ‘biscuit’, which is largely the reason it became – in its tartan box – such an export success.
Cook’s Tips: Butter is the determining flavour in shortbread, so tasting it before using will give some idea of its quality and suitability. Texture depends on the flour used. Cornflour will make it less crunchy. Rice flour on the other hand will make it more crunchy.
(6 inch) round shortbread moulds
280g (10oz) plain flour, sifted
55g (2oz) cornflour or rice flour, sifted
110g (4oz) caster sugar, sifted
225g (8oz) butter, softened and cut into small pieces
Dredging: caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 325°F/150°C/Gas 3.
Depth of shortbread for thick fingers 2cm (¾inch).
For thin fingers 5mm (¼ inch).
Dust baking tin or shortbread mould lightly with flour.
MIXING BY HAND: Sift the flours on the work surface. Put the sugar onto the work surface and place the butter on top. Knead all the sugar into the butter, then add a little flour and gradually work into the butter and sugar. Continue adding the flour until the mixture becomes firm and pliable but not too stiff. It should not be difficult to roll out and should not crack.
MIXING BY MACHINE: Put all the ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix at a slow speed until the dough begins to come together. Then raise the speed a little until it forms a smooth dough. Test the consistency and add more flour if it is too soft.
SHAPING THIN FINGERS: Roll the dough out to 5mm (¼ inch) and cut in fingers approx 6.5cm (2½ inch) long and 2.5cm (1 inch) wide. Put onto a baking tin. Mark all over with a fork to prevent rising and rest in a cool place for one hour before baking.
SHAPING THICK FINGERS: Roll the dough out into a large square or press into a tin. It should be approximately 2cm (¾ inch) thick. Mark in lengths 7.5cm (3 inch) long and 2.5cm (1 inch) wide. Mark with a fork to prevent rising and rest in a cool place for one hour before baking.
SHAPING INTO LARGE ROUND: Roll the dough out into a large round about 2cm (¾ inch) thick and place on a baking tray. Pinch the edge with first finger and thumb to decorate or use the flat edge of a fork to mark the edge. Mark into triangles and mark all over with a fork to prevent rising. Rest in a cool place for one hour before baking.
USING A SHORTBREAD MOULD: Divide dough equally into three and press one piece into the floured mould. Run a rolling pin over the top to level it. With fingertips, pull out the edges all round so they are not ragged and come away cleanly. Reverse and – holding your hand underneath to catch the shortbread as it comes out – knock out the dough by hitting the edge of the mould on the edge of a table. It may be necessary to hit it in several places before it comes out. Place the dough on a baking tin and mark with a fork. Repeat with the other two pieces of dough. Rest for one hour in a cool place before baking.
BAKING: Bake till evenly golden brown. Thin fingers will take 20-30 minutes, thicker fingers, round and mould, 45-50 minutes. Dredge with sugar while still warm. Remove from the tin and put to cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
This moist, aromatic bread is made from a mixture of meals grown in the same field. It was once known as ‘mashlum’ meal.
Cook’s Tip: This is best eaten with cheese or a thick soup-stew. It can either be baked in a round bannock shape and cut in wedges or put into a 25cm (10 inch) cast-iron pot with a lid in the style of an Irish bastible pot. A chicken brick also works well though the finished loaf is a slightly odd shape.
125g (4½oz) medium oatmeal
125g (4½oz) beremeal or barley flour
350g (12oz) wholemeal flour
50g (2oz) wheatgerm
1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon heather honey
1 egg
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
425ml (15fl oz) buttermilk or fresh milk soured with the juice of a lemon
Oil for greasing
Pre-heat the oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas 8.
Grease a baking tray if making round bannock or grease a 1kg (2lb) loaf tin or round pot with lid that can be put in the oven or a chicken brick.
MIXING: Put all the meals, the wheatgerm and the bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the centre and add the honey, egg, oil, salt and buttermilk/soured milk. Mix this together with the outstretched fingers of one hand. Once it is well mixed, begin bringing in the flour from the sides. The mixing should be done as quickly as possible and it is important to have a large enough bowl. When the mixture comes together as a soft, but not sloppy, elastic dough it is ready. If it is too stiff the bread will be heavy.
SHAPING and BAKING: Either shape the dough into a round bannock, divide into four, dust on top with oatmeal or barley flour and bake on a greased baking tray, or put the mixture into a loaf tin or into a pot with a lid, dusting on top with oatmeal or barley flour. Bake the round bannock for 40-50 minutes. The covered loaf will take longer, about an hour. To test, remove from the tin and knock on the base: it will make a hollow sound if ready. Remove and cool thoroughly.
There are three ways of rising this scone, the most traditional is with buttermilk and soda. This gives the most moist, airy texture. The other methods make a drier scone.
Yield: 8 quarters or 12-24 depending on thickness and cutter size
Either:
225g (8oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
125ml (4fl oz) buttermilk, or fresh milk
soured with the juice of half a lemon
or
225 (8oz) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
125ml (4fl oz) fresh milk
or
225g (8oz) self-raising cake flour
125ml (4fl oz) milk
50g (2oz) butter or 2 tablespoons oil
1 egg, beaten
Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C/Gas 8.
Grease and flour baking tins or use silicone paper.
MIXING AND SHAPING: Sift the flour and raising agent into a bowl and rub in the butter or blend in a blender. Make a well in the centre and add the milk and egg. Mix to a soft, elastic consistency. Dust with flour and knead lightly on a floured working surface. Roll out to 2.5cm (1 inch) thick, either into two rounds, cut into four quarters or cut with a cutter. Dust with flour and bake till risen and golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Wrap in a towel, place on a rack and serve slightly warm with butter and jam.
Cook’s Tip: This is a quick, no-creaming method with excellent results. The basic method is to put special ‘cake’ flour (this is finer than other flours and achieves the best texture) and caster sugar into a bowl and mix with an electric beater for 30 seconds. This brings the flour and sugar particles closer together when the sugar crystals puncture the flour particles, allowing more liquid to be absorbed faster. Three-quarters of the eggs/liquid is then added along with the soft butter, and beaten for about 90 seconds until it becomes creamy and light. This is when the strength of the cake is developed. The remaining liquid is beaten in for another 30 seconds. Total time to mix: two-and-a-half minutes.
250g (9oz) self-raising cake flour
250g (9oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs, beaten
2-3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Line 23-25cm (9-10 inch) round cake tin; or 2 × 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins with silicone baking paper, or foil, or grease and flour.
HEATING THE EGGS: Put the eggs, still in their shells, into a bowl of very hot, but not boiling water. Leave for two minutes to heat the eggs without cooking.
MIXING: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar. Beat with an electric beater for about 30 seconds. Add the butter. Mix the eggs and two tablespoons of milk together and add about three-quarters of this mixture to the flour, sugar and butter. Beat for about 90 seconds till the mixture becomes light and creamy. Scrape down the sides. Add the remaining eggs, milk and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the remaining tablespoon of milk if necessary. Pour into prepared tin(s).
BAKING: Bake a large cake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Bake sandwich cakes for 25-30 minutes. Cool in the tin(s) for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Coat with Chocolate Cream Icing: Break up 200g (7oz) best quality plain chocolate and put it into a bowl. Put 200ml (7fl oz) double cream into a pan and bring to the boil. Pour over the chocolate and blend in. Stir till smooth. Leave to cool slightly, or until it begins to thicken a little, but not too much. Put the cake on a rack. Pour chocolate on top of the cake and spread evenly with a large spatula over the top and sides. Shake before it sets to make a smooth surface. For a rough surface beat the mixture with an electric beater till thick and creamy then spread over cake.
Make the basic cake mix, flavouring with the grated zest of a lemon. Bake in one large cake tin. Decorate on top with a slice of crystallised lemon.
Make the basic cake mix; flavouring with 1 tablespoon of grated lemon zest. Shortly before the cake is ready, boil 75g (3oz) granulated sugar with the juice of 2 lemons. When the cake comes out of the oven, prick all over the top with a skewer and using a pastry brush, coat the top of the cake with about half the syrup. Leave to cool in the tin. Remove and invert the cake. Prick all over the base and brush with syrup, then brush sides with syrup. Allow to cool before wrapping in clingfilm. Store for 24 hours to allow the syrup to distribute evenly.
Make the basic cake mix. Bake in two sandwich tins.
Fill centre with:
(1)
250ml (8fl oz) whipped cream,
3–4 tablespoons jam or flavoured butter cream.
Dust top with caster sugar.
(2)
100g (3½ oz) unsalted butter, softened
125g (4½ oz) icing sugar
Flavouring options:
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
or
2 tablespoons liqueur, rum or brandy
or
2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice
or
25g (1oz) cocoa powder
2 tablespoons boiling water
TO MAKE FILLING (2): Put the butter in the mixing bowl and beat till soft and fluffy. Add the flavourings and beat till mixed in. Add the icing sugar gradually until light and smooth. Spread on one half of the cake. Place the other half on top.
This is a moist, full-flavoured cake made in a loaf tin so that the slices resemble dark chocolate bread.
Cook’s Tip: It’s made using the quick sponge method (see Vanilla Butter Sponge p138). Mixing the cocoa powder with boiling water releases the cocoa flavour.
25g (1oz) best quality cocoa powder
3 tablespoons boiling water
3 large eggs, beaten
125g (4½ oz) self-raising cake flour
150g (5½ oz) caster sugar
150g (5½ oz) butter, softened
125g (4oz) dates, stoned and chopped
125g (4oz) walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Line 20 × 10cm (8 × 4 inch) loaf tin with silicone baking paper, or foil, or grease and flour.
HEATING THE EGGS: Put eggs, still in their shells, into a bowl of very hot, but not boiling water, leave for two minutes to heat the eggs without cooking.
MIXING: Whisk the cocoa powder and hot water together until smooth, then beat in the eggs. Sift flour into a separate large bowl and add caster sugar. Whisk for about 30 seconds using an electric beater. Add all the butter and two thirds of the egg and cocoa mixture to the flour and sugar and beat for about 90 seconds to develop the cake’s structure. It should become light and creamy. Scrape down the sides. Add the remaining egg and cocoa mixture, plus the vanilla, and beat for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides again and beat for another 30 seconds. Reserve a few walnuts to decorate the top and chop the rest roughly. Add with the dates and mix through.
BAKING: Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Place the walnuts on top and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the centre. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar and allow to cool before wrapping in clingfilm to store.
An everyday family cake and a Scottish favourite which is finished with a layer of double cream and raspberry or strawberry jam in the centre.
Cook’s Tips: This cake method creates the lightest sponges. The technique involves trapping air – created by beating a large amount of eggs with the sugar – so the mixture is extremely delicate and airy and must be treated with care. It is particularly suitable for sponges that are to be served as desserts, especially with cream. The texture is too delicate for heavy icings such as fondant and marzipan.
Always use caster sugar. The best results are achieved if eggs are warmed slightly, and always fold the eggs in very gently with a large metal spoon. Work quickly once the eggs are mixed in so that they do not deflate. Bake immediately after mixing, taking care not to knock the tin or shake the mixture. Allow to cool in the tin before removing. Keep cooling cake out of draughts.
6 large eggs
175g (6oz) caster sugar
175g (6oz) plain fine cake flour, sifted
Filling:
300ml (10fl oz) whipped cream
250g (8oz) fresh fruit in season
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7.
Use 2 × 25cm (10 inch) round cake tins or 3 × 20cm (8 inch) sandwich tins and line with silicone baking paper, or foil, or grease and flour.
HEATING THE EGGS: Put the eggs, still in their shells, into a bowl of very hot, but not boiling water, leave for two minutes to heat the eggs without cooking.
MIXING: Put the sugar into the mixing bowl and break in the eggs. Mix at top speed until the mixture turns white and creamy and you can see the trail of the whisk marks in the mix. The mixture should triple in volume. With a large metal spoon, fold in the flour gently with a cutting and folding movement until all the flour is mixed in, then pour into cake tin(s).
BAKING: Bake for 20-25 minutes. To test for readiness, the top should be golden brown, firm and springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin. When cool, remove from the tin and cool on a rack.
FINISHING: Beat the cream till stiff and spread half on top of one cake. Cut the fruit up finely and place evenly on top. Spread the remaining cream on top of the fruit. Cover with the other cake half and dust on top with icing sugar.
Cook’s Tips: Use only special, fine, sifted cake flour for the finest texture. Always use caster sugar. All dry ingredients should be at room temperature, eggs and butter slightly warmed. Always beat at the highest mixer speed. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before removing to allow the cake to ‘set’.
5 large eggs
250g (9oz) unsalted butter
250g (9oz) caster sugar
300g (10½oz) plain fine cake flour
75g (3oz) ground almonds
1 lemon, zest
1 orange, zest
350g (12oz) sultanas, washed
50g (2oz) crystallised orange peel, finely chopped (or 2 tablespoons thick cut marmalade)
3 tablespoons milk
Topping:
50g (2oz) whole almonds, blanched and halved
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Line round cake tin 20cm (8 inch) with silicone baking paper or foil.
HEATING THE EGGS: Put eggs, still in their shells, into a bowl of very hot, but not boiling water. Leave for two minutes to heat the eggs without cooking.
MIXING AND BAKING: Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs in four separate additions, beating well in between. Add a little flour if the mixture curdles and beat well. Gently fold in the remaining flour and ground almonds. Add orange and lemon zest, sultanas and orange peel or marmalade. Mix in with milk to dropping consistency, then pour into a prepared tin. Cover the top with halved blanched almonds and bake for about one and a half hours. Test for readiness – a skewer should come out clean. Cool, wrap and store in an airtight tin.
A subtly spiced loaf flavoured with beer.
250g (9oz) plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon each of ground ginger, mixed spice and cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
50g (2oz) soft brown sugar
125g (4oz) butter, softened
1 egg
125g (4oz) treacle
125ml (4fl oz) dark beer
50g (2oz) currants
50g (2oz) sultanas
50g (2oz) candied peel
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Line a 20 × 10cm (8 × 4 inch) loaf tin with silicone baking paper, or foil, or grease and flour.
MIXING: Sift the flour, spices, soda and sugar into a bowl. Beat with an electric beater for about one minute to mix. Make a well in the centre and add the butter. Mix the egg and treacle together with the beer. Add about three quarters to the flour mixture and beat for about one minute or until the mixture lightens a little and becomes creamy. Add the remaining liquid and beat for another minute. It should be a soft dropping consistency. Add more beer if necessary. Add currants, sultanas and candied peel and mix through. Pour into a loaf tin.
BAKING: Bake for about an hour. Test for readiness by inserting a skewer which should come out clean. Cool on a rack. To store, wrap in clingfilm and/or foil.
To be properly ‘sticky’ this rich gingerbread should sink a little in the middle.
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, chopped small
275g (10oz) soft dark brown sugar
175g (6oz) black treacle
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
275g (10oz) regular plain flour (not for cakes), sifted
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted
75g (3oz) crystallised ginger, finely chopped
200ml (7fl oz) buttermilk OR fresh milk soured with the juice of a lemon OR natural yoghurt
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Grease and line a round 23-25cm (9-10 inch) cake tin.
MIXING: Put the butter, sugar, treacle and spices into a pan and heat gently to melt the butter and soften the treacle. Take off the heat and when cool, beat in the eggs. Then stir in the flour sifted with soda. Mix together. Finally add the ginger and soured milk/yoghurt and mix in. It should make a fairly runny consistency.
BAKING: Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45-60 minutes. Test by pressing on the top. It should spring back easily when ready. Allow to cool in the tin and wrap in clingfilm and/or foil to store.
A ‘boiled’ fruit cake which is very quick and easy to make.
300ml (10fl oz) hot water
150g (5oz) soft or dark brown sugar
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
350g (12oz) mixed dried fruit
2 teaspoons mixed spice
150g (5½ oz) plain flour, sifted
150g (5½ oz) self-raising flour, sifted
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted
2 eggs
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Grease or line a 21 × 11cm (8 × 5 inch) loaf tin.
MIXING: Put the water, sugar, butter, dried fruit and mixed spice into a pan. Simmer for three minutes then leave to cool. Add the flours and bicarbonate of soda along with eggs and mix to a soft dropping consistency. Pour into a baking tin.
BAKING: Bake for about one and a half hours. Test for readiness with a skewer, which should come out clean. Cool in the tin. To store, wrap in clingfilm or foil.
Cook’s Tip: Substitute chocolate chips for the currants.
Yield: 8-10
225g (8oz) self-raising plain flour
75g (3oz) butter
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 egg
75g (3oz) currants
50ml (2fl oz) milk
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water for glazing
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Preheat the oven to 470°F/230°C/Gas 8.
Grease trays lightly with oil or use silicone paper.
MIXING AND BAKING: Sieve the flour into a bowl. Rub in the butter (or mix in a blender) till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar, egg, currants and most of the milk and mix to a fairly stiff dough. Add more milk if necessary. Drop buns onto the tray in spoonfuls, spacing well. Glaze with the beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Rough up the sides with two forks. Bake till risen and browned, 15-20 minutes.
Cook’s Tip: The less water used the crisper the oatcake and the more likely it is to curl – the sign of a good oatcake. Work quickly since it is easier to shape and roll out thinly when the dough is still warm.
Yield: 1 round, 4 triangles
125g (4½oz) medium oatmeal
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon melted dripping or butter
125ml (4fl oz) boiling water
Heat the girdle and grease. Test heat by sprinkling on some flour which should turn a light brown in a few minutes. Also judge heat by holding your hand over the girdle. It should feel hot, but not fiercely so.
MIXING AND SHAPING: Put the oatmeal into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre, add the dripping or butter and mix through. When well mixed, add the boiling water and mix to make the mixture come together into a firm, but not crumbly, ball. Dust the work surface with oatmeal and press the mixture out roughly into a round. Roll out to about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Keep pinching the edges together to keep them even. Cut into four triangles (farls) and leave to dry for an hour. This helps them to ‘curl’.
BAKING: Place the four triangles on the girdle and leave to bake till they have dried out and are curled at the edges. This will only happen if they are thin enough. Thick oatcakes will not curl and may need to be baked on both sides. If very thin and well curled, remove and stand on end – in a toast rack if possible – in a warm place to dry out completely. Store in an airtight tin or in oatmeal – the traditional method – which gives them a special mealy taste. They may be dried out in a warm oven before use.
Usually eaten hot, rolled up with butter, but also an essential item in a Scottish breakfast/high tea fry-up.
Cook’s Tips: The thinner the dough is rolled the better the scone. To test for the best potato scone hold one corner and shake – it should give a good ‘wiggle’. If too thick and stodgy there will be no wiggle.
Yield: 8
225g (8oz) floury potatoes, mashed
75g (3oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) butter
Pinch of salt
Heat the girdle and grease. Test heat by sprinkling on some flour which should turn a light brown in a few minutes. Also judge heat by holding your hand over the girdle. It should feel hot, but not fiercely so.
MIXING AND SHAPING: Put the mashed potato into a bowl and sift in the flour. Add the butter and salt and mix to a smooth dough. It should be soft and pliable. Add some water if required. Divide into two, knead into round balls and roll into 2 circles 3-5mm (1/8 – ¼ inch) thick. Cut each circle into four.
BAKING: Bake on the girdle until brown on one side (about three minutes), then turn and brown the other side. Wrap in a tea towel and serve warm with butter. Fry with bacon and eggs etc. for a ‘full’ Scottish breakfast.
Cook’s Tip: These can be made into a more rustic wheaten scone, like Irish soda bread, by substituting half the plain flour with a coarse granary flour.
Yield: 2 rounds, 8 scones
225g (8oz) plain flour
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
150ml (5fl oz) buttermilk or sweet milk soured with the juice of a lemon
Pinch of salt
Pre-heat the girdle and grease lightly. Test heat by sprinkling the girdle with some flour which should turn a light brown in a few minutes. Also judge heat by holding your hand over the girdle. It should feel hot, but not fiercely so.
MIXING AND SHAPING: Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the oil, sour milk and salt. Mix to a soft pliable dough. Do not overmix or the scones will shrink when baked. Turn out onto a floured board. Flour on top and divide into two. Roll each piece into a circle about 1cm (½ inch) thick and cut each round into 4 quarters.
BAKING: Bake on the girdle for about four to five minutes on one side. Turn and bake on the other side till cooked through. Fold in a tea towel when cooked and serve warm with butter and strawberry jam.
Cook’s Tip: Substitute black treacle or golden syrup for the sugar to add more flavour.
Yield: 24 with 5cm (2½ inch) cutter
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
25g (1oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 egg
150ml (5fl oz) milk
50g (2oz) currants
Preheat the girdle and grease lightly. Test heat by sprinkling on some flour which should turn a light brown in a few minutes. Also judge heat by holding your hand over the girdle. It should feel hot, but not fiercely so.
MIXING AND SHAPING: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar. Make a well in the centre. Mix the oil and egg together. Add this, along with most of the milk and the currants. Mix to a soft dropping consistency, adding more milk if necessary. Leave to rest for three minutes. Roll out on a floured board to a large round of 1.5cm (¾ inch) thick. Cut into triangles or cut with a scone cutter into rounds.
BAKING: Put the triangles or rounds onto the girdle and bake on one side for about five minutes until lightly browned. Turn and bake on the other side. Wrap in a tea towel and place on a wrack. Serve warm.
Cook’s Tip: The secret of making good pancakes is practise.
Yield: 24-28 Pancakes – 16-18 crumpets
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 level tablespoon golden syrup/ honey/ treacle or sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
175ml (6fl oz) milk for pancakes
Additional For Crumpets:
1 egg
250ml (9fl oz) milk
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Heat girdle and grease. Test heat by sprinkling on some flour which should turn a light brown in a few minutes. Also judge heat by holding your hand over the girdle. It should feel hot, but not fiercely so.
TO MAKE PANCAKE MIX: Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, syrup, oil and most of the milk. Mix to a thick ’pouring cream’ consistency adding more milk if necessary.
TO MAKE CRUMPET MIX: As for pancakes BUT add 1 extra egg and ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda which makes more bubbles while cooking. Use more milk to make a runnier mixture. Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, sugar and most of the milk. Mix to a thin cream consistency adding more milk if necessary.
TO BAKE PANCAKES AND CRUMPETS: Drop in spoonfuls onto a hot girdle. Use a ladle for the crumpets which should spread to about 15mm (6 inch). When bubbles appear on the surface, turn. Crumpets should be thinner than pancakes with a lacy effect on one side. Pancakes are usually smaller. When bubbles appear on the top surface, turn. They should be an amber colour on both sides. Cool on a rack in a tea towel to keep warm and soft and eat warm on the day they are baked. Serve pancakes with butter and jams. Fill crumpets with butter, lemon juice and sugar or jam or honey or syrup. Roll when cold like a brandy snap. If they crack the mixture has been too stiff.
All bakers in the North-East produce their own subtle variations but it is generally accepted that the best are flaky-crisp and well-browned. A ‘bready’ butterie is not appreciated by local aficionados.
Cook’s Tips: The secret of good butteries is to work with the softest dough possible, using plenty of flour to prevent it from becoming sticky. Only if the dough is soft is it possible to achieve the ‘misshapen’ look.
Bread Dough:
3 teaspoons sugar
25g (1oz) fresh yeast
375-450ml (13-15fl oz) warm water
500g (1lb 2oz) very strong white bread flour, slightly warmed
Fatty Dough:
325g (11oz) solid vegetable fat
1 level tablespoon salt
150g (5oz) very strong white bread flour
Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7.
Grease baking sheets.
MIXING THE BREAD DOUGH: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in a little of the water and leave for 10 minutes. Add to the warmed flour along with most of the remaining water and knead in to make a soft sticky dough. Knead until smooth and pliable and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
MIXING THE FATTY DOUGH: Cut up the fat and sprinkle with salt and flour. Knead till thoroughly mixed. This can be done in a food processor.
COMBINING THE TWO DOUGHS: Cover the work surface with a thick layer of flour and place bread dough on top. Flour the top of this and spread it out with well-floured hands or a rolling pin till it is rectangular and about 1cm (½ inch) thick. Spread half of the fatty dough on top. Fold down a third to the centre and up a third – as for making puff pastry. Turn and roll out again to 1cm (½ inch). Repeat this procedure with remaining fatty dough. Repeat the procedure one more time using plenty of flour to prevent sticking.
SHAPING: Divide the dough roughly into 50g (2oz) pieces. Flour your hands well. Take up a piece of dough, toss it to coat evenly with flour. Throw it onto the baking tray – this helps to create the misshapen effect. Press down with four well-floured fingers so that it spreads out. Continue with the rest of the dough, leaving a space between each butterie for rising. To finish the shaping, once they are all on the baking trays, flour four fingers outstretched on the left hand and a clenched fist on the right hand. Press out using both floured hands until they are about 5mm (¼ inch) thick.
PROVING: Oil a sheet of clingfilm and cover the rowies. Leave for about 20 minutes in a warm place until they double in size.
BAKING: Bake the rowies for 18-20 minutes in a fairly hot oven until they are crisp and golden. Leave on the tray for about 10 minutes till they have cooled a little then stack them together, on their ends, on the tray. It is important to leave them to cool on the tray as if they are stacked too soon they will have too much moisture and become soggy. Leaving them too long, on the other hand, means they will become too crisp and break easily.
EATING/BUYING: Eat warm with butter. A ‘double rowie’ is two stuck together with butter. A ‘wee rowie’ is half sized. A ‘cremated rowie’ has been well-fired. A ’bag of bitties’ is a bag of broken rowies.
These light, floury breakfast rolls are usually filled with bacon, eggs, or sausages.
Yield: Makes about 10 ‘man-sized’ baps.
500 g (1lb) strong white flour
2 teaspoons salt
25 g (1oz) fresh yeast, 1 tablespoon dried or 1 pkt Fast Action yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
300 ml (10fl oz) water and milk, warmed
50 g (2oz) lard
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7.
Grease baking tray.
MAKING THE DOUGH: Sift the flour into a bowl, add salt and put aside to warm. Meanwhile cream fresh yeast and sugar together and then mix with the milk and water (add the dried yeast to the milk/water and dissolve it. Mix in the Fast Action yeast to the dry ingredients). Rub the lard into the flour, then add the liquid and knead together till smooth and pliable. Leave to rise till doubled in size — about an hour.
SHAPING AND BAKING: Knock back, knead and then shape into baps. Oval baps are usually about 10cm (4 inch) long by about 7cm (3 inch) wide at this stage before rising. Round ones are about 10cm (4 inch) diameter. Once shaped, brush with milk, dust with flour and cover with oiled clingfilm to prevent drying out and set in a warm place to prove. When they have risen, dust again lightly with flour and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and eat warm.
This striking loaf is a rich brown on the inside with a light speckled crust, which is caused by lining the tin with rolled oats.
175g (6oz) rolled oats
50g (2oz) lard/butter or 4 tablespoons oil
2-3 teaspoons salt
125g (4oz) molasses or treacle
450ml (16fl oz) lukewarm water
25g (1oz) fresh yeast (1 tablespoon dried or 1 pkt Fast Action yeast)
600g (1½ lb) strong white bread flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons rolled oats to coat tins
2 × 1lb/500g loaf tins.
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F/190°C/Gas 5.
Grease the tin well with lard or oil and coat the base and sides with rolled oats.
MIXING DOUGH: Put oats, lard, butter or oil and salt into a bowl. Dissolve the molasses in the lukewarm water and pour over the oats. If the yeast is dried, activate it by mixing with a little of the warm molasses water. If fresh, mix the yeast with a teaspoonful of sugar. Add the yeast (you can just stir in the packet of Fast Action yeast) to the oats and stir in half of the flour. Beat well for three or four minutes — this can be done with the mixer. Beat in the eggs and then work in the remaining flour gradually till the dough is soft and sticky but not too dry. Leave for 10 minutes to rest.
KNEADING AND RISING: Turn the dough onto a board and knead till it is smooth and elastic. Cover with greased clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for about one and a half hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
SHAPING AND BAKING: Knead the dough for a few minutes and then divide into two. Shape into loaves and put into tins. Cover with greased clingfilm and put back in a warm place till they have risen to double their size again. Brush with milk and sprinkle on top with rolled oats. Bake for 30 minutes to one hour or until they make a hollow sound when tapped on the base. Cool thoroughly.
Popular teatime treats which may be made more ‘fancy’ with cream or icing.
Yield: 25-30
750g (1½ lb) strong plain flour
250ml (8fl oz) milk
50g (1oz) fresh yeast, 1 tablespoon dried yeast or 1 pkt Fast Action yeast
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
125g (4oz) butter, softened
2 large eggs
Pre-heat the oven to 425°F/220°C/Gas 7.
Grease 2 large baking trays.
MIXING AND KNEADING THE DOUGH: Begin by warming both the milk and flour separately to blood heat (37°C). Yeast will work much more efficiently if everything is warm. If using fresh yeast, blend it with a little of the milk, if using dried yeast, dissolve in some of the milk and leave until it begins to froth up. Make a well in the centre of the flour and add most of the milk, (add the Fast Action yeast now if using), salt, butter and eggs (keeping back some of the egg for glazing). Bring together with your hands till it is a soft, sticky dough, adding more milk if necessary. If it is too wet, add more flour. So many recipes tell you to knead the dough for so many minutes – this is confusing: what you should do is knead it until it is the right consistency, and the time it takes to reach this stage varies. It should be transformed during the kneading process from a soft sticky mess to a smooth, silky, rounded ball which comes away from your fingers easily. If the gluten content of the flour is poor, achieving this result is impossible. Always use a strong flour.
RISING: Cover the bowl with a wet towel (dough likes a damp steamy atmosphere for rising) or oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place till it has almost doubled in size.
KNOCKING BACK AND SHAPING THE DOUGH: Knock all the air out of the dough, give it another knead to redistribute the yeast and shape the dough into 25-30 small round buns about 5cm (2 inch) in diameter.
PROVING: To prove that the yeast is still working, place in a warm place again, cover with a film of very lightly oiled clingfilm and leave till they have doubled in size. Brush with an egg and milk glaze and bake for 10-15 minutes.
Split when cold and fill with whipped cream. Dust on top with icing sugar.
Make up a fairly stiff water icing, colour and coat the top of the cookie.
A burnished golden bannock with all the festive style of an old symbolic sun-worshipper’s celebration bannock.
Yield: 1 bannock
500g (1lb 2oz) strong plain flour
125g (4oz) butter
250ml (9fl oz) warm milk
50g (2oz) sugar
15g (½ oz) fresh yeast or 1 × 7g sachet Fast Action yeast
250g (9oz) sultanas
1 egg yolk beaten with a teaspoon water for glazing
MIXING AND RISING: Sift the flour into a bowl and add the sugar (add the Fast Action yeast now if using). If using fresh yeast, dissolve in a little of the warm milk. Melt the butter and add to the warm milk. Cool to lukewarm and add to the flour. Mix to a soft pliable dough and knead until smooth, about five minutes. This can be done in an electric beater with a dough hook or in a bread-making machine. Put into a floured bowl and dust on top with flour. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in a warm place until it doubles in size.
SHAPING, PROVING AND BAKING: Knock back to remove air and knead in the sultanas. Shape the dough into a round bannock and place on a greased baking tray. Cover it with oiled clingfilm and leave it in a warm place until it doubles in size. Brush with the egg yolk. Bake for about 45 minutes, reducing the temperature if the bannock is browning too quickly. To test for readiness, tap on the base – it should sound hollow. Remove and cool on a rack. Eat warm, or toasted, with butter.
These were first made by high-class Edinburgh bakers and take their name from the shape of the petticoat hoops worn by women in the nineteenth century. It’s thought that they were first made as a delicate shortbread, suitable for ladies’ afternoon teas, while men preferred a thicker, crunchier version.
Yield: 1 round
200g (7oz) plain flour
50g (2oz) icing sugar
75g (3oz) butter, softened
25g (1oz) vegetable fat
Dredging: caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 325°F/150°C/Gas 3.
Dust baking tin lightly with flour.
MIXING: Put all the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Put on a slow speed and mix until the dough begins to come together. Then raise the speed a little until it forms a smooth dough. Roll out to a large round – about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Crimp the edges with your first finger and thumb, and mark all over with a fork. Then cut out a circle from the centre. Divide the rest of the circle into 12 to 18 wedge-shaped biscuits – ‘petticoat tails’ and place on a baking tray.
BAKING: Bake for 20 minutes then raise the heat to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4 and continue baking till golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar while still warm. Remove from the tin and put to cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container.
Queen Victoria is said to have enjoyed this elegant shortbread biscuit regularly with her afternoon tea.
Yield: 25-30
375g (13oz) plain flour
125g (4½ oz) caster sugar
250g (9oz) butter, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Grease baking trays.
MIXING (traditional method) AND SHAPING: Sift the flour onto the work surface. Put the sugar in a separate pile. Knead the butter into the sugar with both hands. When the sugar is mixed in, begin adding the flour gradually, continuing to knead the mixture lightly. The aim is a firm pliable dough, not too soft yet not too firm, which makes it more difficult to roll out. Do not worry if the mixture does not take all the flour.
MIXING BY MACHINE: Put all the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Put on a slow speed and mix until the dough begins to come together. Then raise the speed a little until it forms a smooth dough. Test the consistency and add more flour if it is too soft.
SHAPING: Dust the work surface with flour and roll out very thinly – about 5mm (¼ inch). Cut into circles about 6.5cm (2½ inch). Prick with a fork three times in the centre, domino style.
BAKING: Place biscuits on the baking tray and bake for about 30 minutes or until they are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and dust with caster sugar while still hot. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin.
This thick golden round of festive shortbread is traditionally flavoured with almonds, caraway, crystallised orange and lemon peel, which decorate the top.
Cook’s Tip: It can be made with just almonds on top. Press about eight whole blanched ones onto the top surface before baking in the same style as a Dundee cake.
280g (10oz) plain flour, sifted
55g (2oz) cornflour, sifted
110g (4oz) caster sugar, sifted
225g (8oz) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
Crystallised orange and lemon peel
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
50g (2oz) almonds, whole blanched
Preheat the oven to 325°F/150°C/Gas 3. Grease baking tin.
MIXING BY HAND: Sift the flour onto the work surface. Put the sugar in another pile. Begin with the butter and sugar, kneading all the sugar into the butter. Then add a little flour and gradually work into the butter and sugar. Continue adding the flour until the mixture becomes firm and pliable but not too stiff. It should not be difficult to roll out and should not crack.
MIXING BY MACHINE: Put all the ingredients into the mixing bowl. Put on a slow speed and mix until the dough begins to come together. Then raise the speed a little until it forms a smooth dough. Test the consistency and add more flour if it is too soft.
SHAPING INTO LARGE ROUND or RECTANGLE: Roll the dough out into large round or rectangle and place on the prepared baking tray. Or press the mixture into a round or rectangular baking tin and smooth surface with a palate knife. It should be about 2cm (¾ inch) thick. If using a baking tray, finish by pinching edge with first finger and thumb to decorate or use the flat side of a fork to mark the edge. Split the almonds, and press the half almonds on top. Press the caraway and crystallised peel into the shortbread to make a centre decoration. Mark all over with a fork to prevent rising. Rest in a cool place for one hour before baking.
BAKING: Bake till evenly golden brown, about 45-50 minutes, and dredge with sugar while still warm. Remove from the tin and put to cool on a rack. Store in airtight container. Break roughly into pieces.
A popular Scottish teatime biscuit.
Yield: 12-15 biscuits
100g (3½ oz) plain flour, sifted
125g (4½ oz) oatmeal
40g (1½ oz) soft brown sugar
50g (2oz) soft vegetable cooking fat
1 teaspoon each of ground ginger, ground cinnamon and mixed spice
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 tablespoons golden syrup
1 medium egg, beaten
Topping:
12-15 blanched almonds
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Grease baking sheet lightly with oil.
MIXING AND BAKING: Mix all of the ingredients together to make a stiff but pliable dough. Add more egg if necessary. Divide into 12-15 pieces, roll into round balls then leave to rest for five minutes. Place a split almond on top of each piece. Put onto a baking tray, leaving room for spreading, then bake for 10 minutes till golden brown on top. Cool and store in an airtight tin.
These are ‘flapjack’-style biscuits that became popular after ‘rolled oats’ were first made by the Quaker Oat Company in 1877.
Yield: 12-15
250g (9oz) butter
250g (9oz) rolled oats
175g (6oz) soft brown sugar
100g (3½ oz) desiccated coconut
50g (2oz) walnuts, finely chopped
50g (2oz) dates, stoned and finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Grease a 16 × 26cm (6½ × 10½ inch) baking tin.
MIXING AND BAKING: Melt the butter and add the oats, sugar, coconut, walnuts and dates. Stir well to mix. Pour into a prepared tin and press evenly with a palate knife. Bake for 25-30 minutes till lightly browned. Cut into fingers and leave in the tin till cool.
A ‘light’ shortbread, made with less fat, they are named – not after the town-but after the distinguished Scots surgeon, Dr John Abernethy (1764-1831) who got his local baker to make them as a ‘health’ biscuit to give to his patients.
Yield: 8 biscuits
100g (3½ oz) plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
30g (1oz) soft vegetable cooking fat
30g (1oz) icing sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 beaten egg
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Grease baking tin lightly with oil.
MIXING AND BAKING: Put the flour, baking powder, fat and sugar into a bowl. Rub in the fat. Add the milk and egg to make a soft but pliable dough. Divide into 8 pieces, roll into balls, then leave to rest for three to four minutes. Roll out to 5mm (¼ inch), then mark with a fork and place on a baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin.
These plump little almond-flavoured balls are more of a confection than a biscuit. They are rolled in icing sugar and can be made with other nuts such as walnuts and pecans.
225g (8oz) plain flour
125g (4oz) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
225g (8oz) butter
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
250g (9oz) finely chopped, flaked almonds
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
MAKING: Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl. Form into a smooth, firm paste and roll into small balls the size of a walnut. Place them on a greased baking sheet about 2.5cm (1 inch) apart and bake for 15 minutes. They should not brown. Roll in icing sugar when almost cool.
A teatime biscuit.
Yield: 25-30 biscuits
150g (5½ oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
50g (2oz) softened vegetable fat
75g (3oz) demerara sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 egg
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4.
Lightly oil two baking sheets.
MIXING AND BAKING: Sieve flours, soda and ginger into a bowl. Add the fat, sugar and syrup. Beat till smooth. Add the egg and mix till smooth. Let the mixture rest for a couple of minutes, then roll it into a long sausage shape and roll in demerara sugar. Leave it in a cool place to harden. When firm, slice into 25-30 pieces. Place it on a greased baking tin and bake for seven to eight minutes. Cool and store in an airtight tin.