Walkers Shortbread Mini Rounds, Traditional Pure Butter Scottish Recipe, 11g (Pack of 200)

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Although my partner and I do not like ginger biscuits we have to say that these do taste great if you like them in general, the flavour is spot on, the ginger is not too strong but for us sadly it is as we are not used to that flavour combination (sweet chocolate with spicy ginger). The dark chocolate tastes amazing, similar to dark chocolate McVitties. That said, shortbread is also incredible if you want to add things like homemade candied ginger, homemade candied citrus peels, dried cranberries, rosemary, and anything else your imagination inspires you to try. Sugar - Granulated or caster sugar is used. The recipe states granulated as it's more mainstream, but I personally go for caster sugar every time as it dissolves better into the butter.

In British English, shortbread and shortcake were synonyms for several centuries, starting in the 1400s; both referred to the crisp, crumbly cookie-type baked good, rather than a softer cake. [16] The "short-cake" mentioned in Shakespeare's play The Merry Wives of Windsor, first published in 1602, was a reference to the cookie-style of shortbread. [16] Spices and ingredients such as almonds may be added. [3] Shapes [ edit ] Shortbread fingers and petticoat tailsSince we didn't like them my partner took these biscuits to work and her colleagues agreed that these were the best ginger biscuits they tried and that they loved them, so I am just relaying the information. a b Clarkson, Janet (2015-04-01). "Shortcake". The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets. Oxford University Press. p.1093. ISBN 978-0-19-931362-4.

Once you’ve added the flour, go easy on the dough (feel free to beat the butter and sugar together really well though). Only mix as much as is needed to incorporate the flour into the butter mixture – this is best done by hand as it’s easy to over process the dough when using an electric mixer. The dough should be quite crumbly. Jamieson, John (1841). An etymological dictionary of the Scottish language (2nded.). Edinburgh: Andrew Shortrede. p.191 . Retrieved 10 May 2018. The story of shortbread begins with the medieval “biscuit bread”. Any leftover dough from bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk: the word “biscuit” means “twice cooked”. Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter, and biscuit bread developed into shortbread. We’re making Scottish shortbread the traditional way with just 3 ingredients: Flour, Sugar and Butter. Well, and a tiny pinch of salt, too. Nothing else is needed, no fancy ingredients, no flavor enhancers. The key to a good Scottish shortbread is the quality of the butter. That is what flavors the shortbread and the shortbread is only as good as the butter.Shortbread originated in Scotland. [1] [2] Although it was prepared during much of the 12th century, and probably benefited from cultural exchange with French pastry chefs during the Auld Alliance between France and Scotland, [3] the refinement of shortbread is popularly credited to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. [4] Despite the enduring popular association, evidence for any connection between Mary and shortbread's origin is sparse. [5] Nuts: Any type of chopped nuts can be added to your shortbread mix. Lightly toasted or raw nuts as per your preference, chop them up coarsely for even distribution throughout the dough. Examples you might like are walnuts, pecan, pistachio, almonds, hazelnuts and sesame seeds. Shortbread is generally associated with and originated in Scotland, but due to its popularity it is also made in the rest of the United Kingdom, and similar biscuits are also made in Denmark, Ireland and Sweden. The Scottish version is the best-known, and is widely exported. a b c d e Mariani, John F. (2014-02-04). Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p.1034. ISBN 978-1-62040-161-3. Shortbread was expensive and reserved as a luxury for special occasions such as Christmas, Hogmanay (Scottish New Year's Eve), and weddings. In Scotland, it was traditional to break a decorated shortbread cake (infar-cake or dreaming bread) over the head of a new bride on the entrance of her new house. [9] [10] [11] Shortbread was also given as a gift. [3] Name [ edit ]

Both work, it depends what you want to achieve. When using a biscuit cutter you always cut the dough before baking (and in this recipe the dough is cut into rectangles first), but there will always be a little spreading as the dough cooks. Extracts: Add coffee, lemon, lavender, orange, peppermint, maple or rum extracts to intensify flavour. Be warned, a little goes a long way. Triangular wedges of shortbread became known as "petticoat tails", and this form of shortbread has become particularly associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. [6] It has been suggested that a French term for the wedges of shortbread was petits gâteaux or petites gatelles – little cakes, and this became "petticoat tails". It is now thought the Scots term derives from the decorated round edge of the segments which resemble petticoats. [7] At this point stir in any add-ins if using (candied ginger, candied citrus peel, herbs, nuts, etc.) Shortbread has been attributed to Mary, Queen of Scots, who in the mid-16th century was said to be very fond of Petticoat Tails, a thin, crisp, buttery shortbread originally flavoured with caraway seeds.Davidson, Alan (2014-08-21). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. p.349. ISBN 978-0-19-104072-6. There are two theories regarding the name of these biscuits. It has been suggested that the name “petticoat tail” may be a corruption of the French petites gatelles (“little cakes”). Other ingredients are often substituted for part of the flour to alter the texture. Rice flour or semolina makes it grittier, and cornflour makes it more tender. [3] Bere or oat flour may be added for flavour. [18] Add mix-ins of choice. Divide dough into 4 bowls and add mix-ins. If you only want to make a only few of the flavor variations, divide dough accordingly.

Timothy G. Roufs & Kathleen Smyth Roufs, Sweet Treats around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture (Santa Barbara, 2014), p. 290. Shortbread was an expensive luxury and for ordinary people, shortbread was a special treat reserved just for special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and New Year. In Shetland it was traditional to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride on the threshold of her new home. The custom of eating shortbread at New Year has its origins in the ancient pagan Yule Cakes which symbolised the sun. In Scotland it is still traditionally offered to “first footers” at New Year.There are many different recipes and regional variations for shortbread. The following recipe uses rice flour to give a slightly grainy texture: You can choose to leave the shortbread plain (still delicious!), try all 4 variations, or choose just a few. Chef John Quigley discusses and bakes Scottish Shortbread". Scotlandontv.tv. 2006-10-24 . Retrieved 2009-05-29. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until well combined. Add the flour and pulse briefly until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word "short", as opposed to "long", or stretchy). [12] [13] [14] The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The short or crumbly texture is a result of the fat inhibiting the formation of long protein ( gluten) strands. The related word " shortening" refers to any fat that may be added to produce a "short" (crumbly) texture. [15]