Shortbread

JackyB

Intrigued about the wooden cutter. Is it really sharp enough to cut out shapes?

I would suggest freezing the shapes before you bake them or they might just melt into unrecognisable blobs in the oven.

If the proportions of ingredients are right, it won't melt. Is it actually a cutter or is it a wooden mould? The traditional way is to lightly sprinkle sugar and flour or semolina into the mould and then press a ball of shortbread dough into the pattern. You turn the mould over onto a baking tray and remove it from the shortbread. The sugar/flour mix lets it be released without sticking, and the design shows on the top of the shortbread.

I apologise is this is teaching grannies to suck eggs (to suck shortbread?) but my daughter wasn't aware of it, and used my shortbread mould in the oven like a cake tin - the shortbread was fine, but the mould has never been the same since.

Feeling gloomy earlier because the biscuit tin was empty, I saw this thread…and now I have a tray of shortbread cooling. Thanks for the tip to use semolina, though mine has probably been in the pantry for at least 10 years it seems to have worked well!

Wow! Such differing recipes. From 3:2;1 to 1.25:1:1. And some say knead a lot, others say don't knead too much.

Shortbread should have rice flour in it to be traditional. Try Mary Berry's recipe, includes semolina which is a reasonable substitute for modern day use. I have a wooden thistle mould and cutters. They were passed to me by an old aunt. They should never be immersed in water , only wiped with a damp cloth. Same as a wooden rolling pin.

Just recalled I have shortbread moulds, five in all, one is well used from my late MIL, a fantastic baker. Two have thistle pattern. Ashamed, as a Scot, to admit I've never used them!
MIL's recipe is 6 oz flour, 2 oz rice flour or cornflour, 2 oz castor sugar, 4 oz butter and pinch of salt.
Mix the dry ingredients.
Add butter in a piece and work in till right consistency (not sure what this is!)
Turn onto board and cut into shapes about 3/4" thick. Prick tops.
Bake in steady oven till they begin to colour, then moderate oven and bake slowly about 1 hr.
Leave in oven to cool.
MIL was professional head cook in big country houses, and her instructions are rather vague but her shortbread was to die for!!

I use a recipe that includes semolina. You can find this online.

I’ve always added ground rice which gives it that certain delicious something. I suppose it’s the semolina and Mary Berry effect.

Thank you for all the replies so far, wanted to wait until I had time to respond properly. JackyB, it is a wooden mould of a thistle and not a cutter as I wrote. Am going to buy one, it looks a bit like an old fashioned wooden bread board.

Babs03 have looked on Etsy - as well as tons there are some fabulous wood carved thistle moulds and rolling pins. Will try the variations of the recipes with semolina and orange etc etc. Thank you all, the replies and thought of making shortbread bringing back wonderful memories of childhood and baking. Am looking out for old fashioned tartan tins now. I also remember my mother always saying use the best butter you can afford.

Am thinking shortbread is something you pretty much always have the ingredients in so no need to go out and buy anything. Also, ingredients that are readily available anywhere, no need to buy anything fancy.

Well, you do need quite a lot of butter so unless you always have a stash in the fridge for baking, you might need to get some in.

JackyB I always have some decent quality butter in the freezer - I get it when on offer.