THE Shortbread Recipe - "shortbread made by a Scottish maid"

 

 

This is my late Granny Purser's recipe for traditional, Scottish shortbread as she was taught by her Scot mum, Amy McKay of McKay.

They affectionately called it "shortbread made by a Scottish maid" and it earned my grandmother, Joanna, (né Joan Rennie Yeldom Taylor) countless wins in her local WI competitions. In fact, one year she chose not to enter, thinking she would give somebody else's shortbread a chance to win, but the judges didn't award a first prize that year as (knowing her deliciously high standard) they didn't deem any of the entrants worthy of it! Miserable old toads.

This recipe is quite sacred to our family, shortbread has featured heavily in all of our childhoods and thankfully my mum is carrying on the tradition of always having a couple of big Tupperware boxes full of the stuff. I'm risking my inheritance making this recipe public so I hope you enjoy it!

And yes the recipe does say to knead the dough, as Granny would say, 'it is bread darling, bread needs kneading'  

The recipe, written down for me by my mum, Jackie -


For each round:
2oz caster sugar
4oz slightly salted butter
6oz plain flour

7.5" loose bottomed round cake tin

Fan oven 165 deg centigrade

Put all ingredients in food processor, blend until comes together into a ball.

Turn out and kneed until warm and squishy.

Press into tin and prick with fork all over.

Cook at 165 deg centigrade for 40 mins.

Sprinkle with caster sugar and cut immediately on taking out of oven but leave to cool in tin.

Hope you enjoy :) shot on our 'Tank' food styling background