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Perfect shortbread, ever wondered how to get your shortbread to taste just like those top selling dainty biscuits in your local store? Nearly everyone has their own way of doing so, usually making the simple basic recipe into something difficult to remember, and a lot more complicated than it needs to be.

This is a very old family secret, and one which I could use to sell our shortbread in stores if I was inclined to do it. The truth is by keeping it simple as it was always intended to be is how to create the perfect results.

Before we start with the secret to perfect shortbread, lets get a few of the common mistakes out of the way first.

Firstly, shortbread should be presented in biscuits no thicker than ½ cm. You
can get away with up to 1/4 inch in thickness, but ½ cm is best.

Never overcook shortbread. It should always be taken from the oven just as it has become crispy and just starting to lightly change colour.

Here is the recipe.

You will notice that it varies from the standard well known basic shortbread recipe only in one minor detail, and it is that detail which makes all the difference.

Prepare a baking sheet lightly greased with butter.
Preheat the oven to 150ºC (Gas Mark 2)

5 oz of plain flour
1 oz of Quaker Porridge Oats (crushed to flour consistency)
4 oz of butter at room temperature
2 oz of castor sugar

When you have prepared the Oats, mix thoroughly with the flour before proceeding to make the shortbread. Then just beat the butter to a soft consistency with a wooden spoon in the normal manner. Add the sugar bit by bit while continuing to beat the butter, finally adding the flour mix little by little just like you did with the sugar.

You should now have a paste which you transfer to a board very lightly dusted with castor sugar and quickly and lightly roll to ½cm in thickness. Lightly dust the rolling pin with sugar if necessary).

Cut to biscuit shapes with your chosen cutter, and place in the oven. 30 minutes cooking time is the absolute maximum, and you should start watching for the colour change at 20 minutes, and be prepared to pull the biscuits before they become too dark. You want a dark cream colour ideally.

Cool the biscuits on a wire rack and lightly dust again with castor sugar to finish.
Of course store them in an airtight container when cool to keep them crisp.

That’s it. Perfect shortbread quickly and easily. You’ll impress your friends and they’ll be begging you to know the secret.

Tags: shortbread, perfect shortbread, perfect shortbread recipe



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