Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread is one of my favorite foods from around the world. Since I have a scottish ancestry, its fun to think that what I'm making, my ancestors made a hundred years ago...

You can them plain, or spread with chocolate. To see the original recipe, just click

https://www.cookingmamas.com/scottish-shortbread/

Scottish Shortbread

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups butter, softened

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3-3/4 cups flour; mix well. Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead for 5 minutes, adding enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut into 3x1 in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with fork. Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 20-25 minutes. Cool. Yield: about 4 dozen.

Scottish Shortbread History

Originally the butter-shortbread variety was expensive and most people only got to taste it on special occasions.

These included weddings, Christmas, Hogmanay (New Year's Eve), Burn's Supper (a celebration in honor of the birth of Scotland's famous poet Robert 'Rabbie' Burns, January 25 each year) and other 'high days and holidays'.

Shortbread has several rituals and traditions associated with it.

Historically this tasty treat played a part in welcoming new brides in the Shetland and Orkney Isles to their marital homes.....

.... as the bride and groom crossed the threshold a decorated shortbread (called the 'Bride's Bonn) was broken over their heads!

It is also still one of the foods offered to 'first-footers' (those going door to door on Hogmanay to welcome in the New Year).

Even the way Scottish shortbread is decorated is symbolic and traditional.

The edges of the circular shortbreads are decorated by pinching with the thumb and forefinger, or making cut-marks with a knife, and it's believed that this is a nod towards the Scots early sun-worshipping days as these pinched edges symbolize the sun's rays.

The center of the shortbread circles, and the length of the shortbread bars are pricked with a fork to complete the decorations.

I'll bet you didn't know that there's also a 'National Shortbread Day', which falls on January 6 every year