Recently, I was cleaning out one of the kitchen draws and came across a round Scottish wooden thistle shortbread mould.On one of my mother's travels she went to Scotland and brought this piece of culinary art home. I inherited it and use it to make shortbread at Christmas. I love the thistle design on it.
Shortbread is a type of biscuit, or cookie, made from a simple recipe of flour, sugar and butter.
The history of shortbread goes back to the 12th century and originally started life as "biscuit bread". Biscuits made from left over bread dough that sometimes was sweetened and dried out in the oven to form a hard rusk. The practice took place over the British Isles, not just in Scotland
In the 16th century, Mary Queen of Scots had a circular shape made and cut into triangular wedges (known as petticoat tails) and often flavoured with caraway seeds.
In early times, shortbread was very expensive and reserved as a luxury for special occasions such as Christmas, Hogmanay (Scottish New Year's Eve) and weddings. In Shetland and Orkney Isles they say it is a tradition to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a bride upon entering her new home.
The first known printed recipe is credited to a Scotswoman, Mrs McLintock, in 1736.
The thistle wooden mould I have is about the size of a bread and butter plate. The thistle is the Scottish flower emblem.
When I was researching shortbread. I came across a story about the thistle. It is said that
a troop of sleeping Scots were saved from ambush when a Norse army tried to sneak up on them. One of the attackers stepped on a thistle with his bare feet. He let out a "Yelp!" waking the Scottish soldiers who went on to defeat the invaders. What a great story, I had to mention it, whether true or not!
My mother's shortbread recipe.
Ingredients
250grams of butter
One third of a cup of castor sugar (or finely granulated sugar)
Two and a quarter cups of plain flour
A quarter of a cup of rice flour
Method
Cream together butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric beater until light and fluffy.
Gradually sift in plain and rice flours.
Place onto a floured board and knead.
Dust mould with some extra plain flour and shake off any excess.
Press the dough firmly into the mould and trim away any excess dough with a sharp knife.
Turn moulds over and tap gently onto a lightly greased oven tray.
Bake in a slow oven for approximately 30 minutes until lightly golden.
Some people like to lightly dust icing sugar over the shortbread when cool.
Enjoy!
