Gramma's Scotch Shortbread Cookies
Sometimes the simplest things produce the best results. I hear it time and again. Myself I have proven it with my Christmas baking. I start in November because I am not pressed for time and what I make needs to age to develop more flavor. I like my holidays to be stress free so I do my cooking early.
This recipe is another one that was handed down from my grand mother to my mother to me. I still make them the same way it was handed down to me - my Christmas tradition. Let me show you and maybe convince you to add this tradition to yours.
I've been told this recipe goes back over 100 years, a settlers recipe. A small indulgence during the holiday season. It is a simple recipe with few ingredients. I've seen it with brown sugar or regular white sugar. I have also seen it with more than ingredients like salt and cornstarch. This recipe was handed done to me as is so I don't know if my grandmother changed it or those before her, but as is it has been our family tradition to be made so. The only change among the families is the shapes the cookies are made into. What shape will be yours?
Photo credit: Taken by myself with my Samsung S III cell phone camera.
Ingredients
- 4 cups AP Flour
- 3/4 cup icing or powdered sugar
- 1 lb unsalted butter
Instructions
- Mix the flour and icing sugar together
- Use softened butter but not melted. Mix the butter into the flour with your hands.
- Form dough into a ball and ,with a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/4 inch thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out out shapes, Bells, Christmas trees, snowman, or just rounds.
- Place on a cookie sheet and dock with a fork. (poke holes in the cookie with as fork)
- Bake at 325 F for 25 minutes or until golden brown around the edge.
- Cool on a rack and pack away in a sealed container for a month to age for best flavor (if you can).
