Recipe: Baking shortbread will get you in the holiday mood
Although I didn’t grow up with a tradition of making Christmas cookies, it’s hard to not get a twinkle in my eye when the season arrives and brings fun decorative tins of shareable cookies.
A quick look into the history of the holiday cookie takes us back to the monks of the Middle Ages when they gained access to sugar and spices that we now associate with Christmastime: cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Although those monks were probably making something more like a crispy cracker or biscuit, the same tradition of baking something sweet that could last a couple days and is shared in the cold of the season prevails.
This year, I’m excited to start a new tradition with my 3-year-old niece making butter cookies and decorating them with all the icing and sprinkles she desires. I believe the true joy in holiday cookie baking is as much in the act and tradition of baking together as it is about the nostalgia of smells and flavors and, of course, sharing sweet bites with those we love.
For this week’s recipe, I want to share my all-time favorite traditional Scottish shortbread. Although I love my butter cookie recipe, this recipe is a bit more elevated with nutmeg, orange zest and cloves.
The keys to success with this recipe: First, use warm, room-temperature butter. It should be mayonnaise-like in texture. Do not melt the butter because that will yield saggy, greasy cookies. Second, cornstarch will help make light shortbread, although you can substitute rice flour or potato flour. Finally, slice the shortbread into pieces while it’s still warm, but don’t remove them from the pan until they are thoroughly cooled.
Scottish Shortbread
- 255 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing pan
- 255 grams (1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
- 75 grams (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg or cloves (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 70 grams (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
- Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 8-by-8-inch (2.4-quart) baking dish with butter or nonstick baking spray. (I prefer to use a glass baking dish for easier removal of shortbread.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, orange zest and nutmeg, if using. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium-size bowl, combine softened butter and salt on low speed until salt is combined and butter is pliable. Add sugar and mix on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix on low until combined, about 30 seconds. Dough should form into a ball but look sandy. (You can use a wooden spoon for mixing butter, salt, sugar and flour, but an mixer will be more efficient.)
- Press dough into prepared baking dish, making sure to press into corners so it’s evenly spread. Bake 30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until top and bottom are golden brown.
- Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into 1-by-2-inch rectangles. Let cool completely before removing shortbread from pan. Shortbread will stay fresh up to 2 weeks when stored in an airtight container.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per piece: 107 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 1 gram protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 7 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 17 milligrams cholesterol, 58 milligrams sodium.Sarah Dodge is an Atlanta-based bread baker, pastry chef and baking instructor. She is the owner of Bread is Good, which offers bread subscriptions to the general public and wholesale baked goods to local markets and restaurants.
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