Scottish Shortbread. Scottish Shortbread Tips Are shortbread and butter cookies the same? While both have a higher proportion of butter in their recipes, butter cookies contain more sugar and flour, are baked at a higher temperature and tend to hold their shape when baked. Shortbread typically has a higher ratio of butter to flour, is baked at a lower temperature and has a dry, crumbly melt-in-your-mouth quality.

Wrap cooled cookies (a few at a time) tightly with plastic wrap. Then wrap again in foil for an added layer of airtight protection. Stash the foil-wrapped cookies in large plastic freezer bags or storage containers. You can cook Scottish Shortbread using 4 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Scottish Shortbread

It's 1 lb of butter softened.
Prepare 1 cup of sugar.
It's 4-4 1/2 cups of flour (approximately).
You need Pinch of salt.

Authentic Scottish Shortbread has nothing in it but flour, butter, and sugar. No flavourings of any kind, other than a pinch of salt. No vanilla, no chocolate chips, etc. It is also formed into either fingers, or in a wheel a little less than half an inch thick; with crimped edges to honour the sun.

Scottish Shortbread step by step

Cream butter and sugar.
Sift flour and salt.
Add about 4 cups of flour to butter mixture a 1/2 cup or so at a time mixing thoroughly between additions until dough forms a ball adding more flour as needed.
Roll out into a rectangle or press evenly into a 9 by 12 baking pan (I use a glass baking pan).
About 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, score with a knife into approximate 1 1/2 x 3 inch pieces and dock with a fork.
Bake in a 325 Degree oven for 60 to 75 minutes until lightly browned.
.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes and cut along score marks while still warm, remove from pan and cool on wire rack.
Yield 24 biscuits.

Some people call these petticoat tails. Shortbread is one of the most famous Scottish cookies. It is eaten around Christmas and is also an essential part of a traditional Scottish New Year ( called Hogmanay). The success of a "shortie"—the Scottish nickname for shortbread—is to handle the dough with care and work it as little as possible. Even the way Scottish shortbread is decorated is symbolic and traditional.