Best Traditional English Shortbreads Recipes

TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan. You can also use a round cake can and cut the shortbread into triangles.
• Place the caster sugar, flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it's combined and looks like coarse breadcrumbs but is soft and pliable and comes together in a dough when you press it together between your fingers. If it's too dry and crumbly it needs to be pulsed a bit longer. (If using any add-ins, stir them in at this point.)Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan. Use your fingers and hands to firmly press down the mixture. Note: If the mixture is too dry to work with, including pricking with a fork (see below), then it was not pulsed long enough in the food processor. Optional: Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork, creating rows. Some people also like run a knife between each row of fork tines to make cutting the shortbread easier after it's baked. You can also prick the shortbread with a fork immediately after it is done baking while it is still warm; the holes will be more pronounced this way as they have a tendency to close during baking.
• Place the shortbread on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until light golden and firm. Let cool. Cut and serve.Store the shortbread in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Its flavor and texture improves over time.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
• Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160°C/gas 3.
• Lightly grease baking tray or place a piece of baking paper over the tin (to stop the unlikely event of the Shortbread sticking).
• Place sifted flour and sugar into bowl and mix together.
• Dice the margarine and gradually rub into flour until breadcrumbs.
• Add vanilla essence and carry on rubbing in with fingertips.
• When the mixture sticks together, place on floured workspace and gently knead until a soft ball.
• Roll out until 1.5 cm in thickness, then cut into Shortbread fingers or petticoat tails. (Using a biscuit cutter is a good way to get a more defined shape)
• Prick all over with a fork or a cocktail stick and (for petticoat tails) mark the edges as well.
• Place in the oven for 15-20 mins and then leave to cool. (Make sure you take the Shortbread out when it is starting to darken round the edges of the biscuit)
• Sprinkle caster sugar over the biscuits (after fully cooled).

SHORTBREAD COOKIES II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.
• Put through cookie press and form cookies onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

ENGLISH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Mix the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
• Gradually work in the flour (Mixture will be crumbly).
• Press mixture into a greased 9" x 13" pan.
• Prick all over with a fork (Dip fork in some flour before pricking shortbread).
• Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar (Optional).
• Put into oven for about 20 minutes, or until pale golden.
• When cool, cut into bars.