Easy shortbread for Burns Night
Sláinte Mhath! If you’re wanting to serve up some deliciously Scottish treats for Burns Night this year, look no further than this super easy recipe for Scottish shortbread, taken from The Independent Cook by Sarah Main, which is guaranteed to be an instant crowdpleaser.
INGREDIENTS
- Butter or vegetable oil, for greasing
- 100g (3½oz) butter (cold from the fridge)
- 150g (5½oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 50g (1¾oz) caster sugar, plus 2–3 tablespoons extra for sprinkling
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C/315°F/Gas mark 4. Lightly grease a baking tray with a little butter or oil.
Cut the butter into small cubes, before adding it to a large mixing bowl along with the flour and sugar. Using the rubbing in method, rub the butter into the flour and sugar using your fingertips until it looks like breadcrumbs. Use your hands to combine the mixture into a ball of dough. (Alternatively, put the butter, flour and sugar into a food processor and mix until the dough starts to stick together.)
On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough out until it is about 5mm (¼ inch) thick. This is a very ‘crumbly’ mixture, so keep pressing the edges in with the sides of your hands as you roll to keep it neat.
Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 rectangles, or make 8 circles using a cookie cutter, and carefully transfer them to the baking tray. Prick them all over with a fork for decoration.
Bake them for 10–15 minutes or until they are a pale golden brown colour. Remove the tray from the oven using oven gloves.
Leave them on the tray for 2 minutes to harden, then sprinkle them with the extra sugar. Carefully lift the biscuits onto a wire rack using a fish slice or palette knife.
Suitable for freezing, serves 8.
The Independent Cook by Sarah Main is available to order online here and from all good booksellers.
