Makes about 48

There are probably as many recipes for shortbread in Scotland as there are families who make it, and each, of course knows that there’s is the best and the only original and traditional, true Scottish shortbread.  In my traveling in Scotland I discovered that the recipes changed with the terrain.  In the South, where the land was richer and the people more  prosperous, the shortbread had more butter and sugar.  In the bleak and windswept north, where the climate was harsh, the land less productive and the people poorer, there was less butter and sugar in proportion to the flour.  Because of this, the shortbreads of the south were richer tasting, but the butter and sugar made them more vitreous.  The northern shortbreads, although not as rich in flavor, had a lighter, flakier texture, which I liked better.  This recipe combines the best of both types, having enough butter and sugar to have a rich, deep flavor, but with enough flour to still produce a nice flaky texture. 

An essential to good shortbread is creaming the sugar and butter together long enough for the sugar to completely dissolve.  I use a hand held rotary beater for this.  Shortbread is best if it is aged in an air tight container for about two weeks before serving.

1 cup sugar

2 cups (4 sticks or 1 pound) soft, not melted, butter

6 cups all-purpose flour

Raw, Turbinado or Demerrara sugar

Preheat the oven to 275°F (140°C or Gas mark 1.   Blend the sugar and butter together until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Add the flour, one cup at a time and work into the sugar and butter mixture after each addition.  This will produce a somewhat flaky, yet a wee bit sticky dough.  Cut disks of baker’s parchment and use to line four, eight to nine inch round cake pans.   Divide the dough equally between the four pans.  Smooth out surface and place a disk of bakers parchment over it.  Using the back of a large wooden spoon, smooth and press the dough into the cake pan.  Try to smooth out any cracks.  It is necessary  to sort of compress the dough in this way.  Lightly sprinkle the surface with raw sugar.  Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for forty-five minutes to an hour or until, not brown, but a pale buff. 

Remove from the oven.  There will most likely be cracks in each pan of shortbread.  Working quickly, while the pans are still hot, use the back of a wooden spoon and compress the hot shortbread and smooth out any cracks.  While still hot, use a small sharp knife and cut each pan full into twelve equal wedges.  The easy way to do this is to cut each pan into equal quarters, then cut each quarter into three equal wedges.  Allow to cool completely.  When cooled, use a spatula and remove from the pans.  Not all will come out whole.  We always used the broken pieces and crumbles for family snacking and saved the perfect pieces for gifts and our Holiday entertaining.  Place in an airtight container and leave for several days before serving.  It is best when aged for about two weeks. 

If you have carved shortbread olds, you may use this recipe to make molded shortbread.  Simply firmly pack the dough into the mold and smooth off the top.  Then quickly invert the mold onto a baking pan lined with baker’s parchment.  Bake as above.

Cookie Molds is a site where you may order excellent handmade modern shortbread and other cookie molds.  Antique Cookie Molds is a gallery of exquisite antique cookie molds.