COOKING COMPANION Shortbread Masterclass WORDS BY BARBORA ORMEROD
The shortbread we know and love is actually the modern descendant of a medieval snack known as ‘biscuit bread’. Originally, it was a way to salvage leftover bread dough by drying it in a low oven until it hardened into a rusk, then sweetening and flavouring it with honey, herbs or whatever was available.
A
ttitudes towards leſtovers have changed somewhat since then. Eventually people started making
biscuit bread for its own sake and replaced the yeast with fat, or shortening, to produce a dough or pastry which is crumbly, mealy or ‘short’. Tese days butter is universally used, but other solid fats would have fulfilled this function in earlier versions. Tus, shortbread was born, and it was popular enough for recipes to be printed as early as 1736.
Te addition of sugar and spices created a particularly expensive and luxurious version which became associated with Christmas and Hogmanay festivities. Traditional shapes included individual rounds, large rounds cut into ‘petticoats’ or big slabs cut into fingers. Te three essential ingredients would have been 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter and 3 parts oat flour. Tese days plain flour is more commonly
used and bakers can get extremely creative with exotic flavours, such as matcha, chocolate, lemon, lavender, pink peppercorn. You’ll also find shortbread made in an array of different shapes.
Whichever version you opt for when making your own shortbread, remember that the dough is meant to be quite stiff - just keep working it and it will come together. For best results, bake at a low temperature so as not to spoil its pleasant golden colour (although a little browning at the edges can be quite appealing).
BARBORA’S TOP FIVE SHORTBREAD TIPS:
❤ The butter should be at room temperature before rubbing into the sugar.
❤ Combining the dough with an electric whisk can be easier and helps you to avoid melting the butter with the heat from your hands.
❤ Chill in the fridge for at least 30 mins before rolling and shaping. This will make it much easier to get neat results.
❤ Go for biscuits which are relatively thick. Thin shortbread breaks very easily, and ideally you want them slightly softer and less baked in the centre, as this improves the overall texture.
❤ You can check whether they are ready after 10-15 mins at 190C/gas mark 5 by poking them gently as they bake. However, be sure to remove them from the oven just before they are set, as they will continue to harden as they cool. This is how to achieve a lovely crunch on the outside whilst maintaining that pleasant softness in the centre.
VEGAN ORANGE & DARK CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD
175g vegan butter, softened 85g caster sugar 200g plain flour Zest of half an orange 50g dark chocolate melted
1 Using a wooden spoon, mix the butter and sugar together.
2 Stir in the flour, and using your hands, mix it all together until ingredients are combined.
3 Halve the dough and roll each piece into a log, about 5cm thick. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least an hour.
4 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4. Slice the logs into rounds, about 1 cm thick. Transfer them to a baking tray lined up with baking parchment, and bake for about 10- 12 mins until lightly golden. Allow to cool on the tray.
52 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
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