Diane’s Homemade Scottish Butter Shortbread

SEE NOTES BELOW*

Preheat oven to 350°.

With an electric mixer, cream the softened butter, then gradually add the confectioner’s sugar, beating well.

Mix the flour, cornstarch and salt together, and add to the butter mixture with a spoon, then mix with your hands until well combined.

Roll out about ¼ of the dough on a floured board until is about ¼ inch thick. Cut with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter into rectangles or any shape desired and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I use the new non-stick foil.)

Prick each cookie with a fork and bake for 15-25 minutes, or until lightly browned around the edges. Time may vary quite a bit because of humidity, different ovens, and moisture content of the butter. You just have to keep checking until you can judge about how long each batch will take.

Makes about 24 1×2-inch bars.

*NOTE: I have used ½ butter flavored shortening and ½ butter and it is still good. Be sure you use only real butter, not margarine, or it won’t be fit to eat.

Also, you may add a little more or less powdered sugar if you like the shortbread sweeter or less sweet, to your taste.

This dough doesn’t rise much at all, so roll it out to the thickness you want the finished cookie to be. This is a very soft dough, but if you mess up, just mash it back together and re-roll it. Also, add the scraps from each rolling into the unused dough and re-roll with the new dough. It is almost impossible to mess it up.

It does stick to the rolling pin, so watch for that. Don’t use too much flour as you roll it out or it will be tough. I’ve found the easiest way to move it from the bread board to the cookie sheet is to use a cake frosting spatula or a large bladed knife, like a butcher knife or a chef’s knife.

I hope I haven’t made this seem more complicated than it really is. I’m just trying to share some of my experience with it. Good luck, I hope they turn out great for you.