Try A Taste of Scotland: Shortbread Recipe

What did William Wallace like to eat? While we don’t really know for sure, we can use our imagination a little bit. One of the most popular all-time favorite Scottish treats is homemade shortbread. Shortbread is a crisp, rich, crumbly, biscuit-like cookie that is made with butter, flour, and sugar.

While it’s not exactly a healthy treat, it is most definitely a delicious one. It’s also easy to make. So easy a kid can do it! Want to give it a try? Here’s how.

Step One:
After getting your parent’s permission, gather your materials. You’ll need:

Step Two:
Follow the recipe!

Famous Scottish Shortbread
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 to 4 ½ cups of all-purpose flour.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until mixture is light and fluffy. (To “cream” really just means to mix together your butter and sugar. It’s a fancy culinary term. Now you know!)

Add in approximately 3 to 3 ¾ cups flour. Mix well. Place dough on a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes; adding a little extra flour as you go to keep the dough soft.

Roll the dough until it is about one-half inch thick. Cut your dough into strips or use cookie cutters to make shapes you like. Prick each cookie with a fork.

Place each cookie one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. This recipe will make approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Think About It:

How did the cookies taste? Did you like it? Is Scottish Shortbread like most cookies you eat at home? Why or why not?

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