Scottish Shortbread

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 300ºF./150ºC Gas mark2
• Cream the butter, sugar and salt until it is smooth, light, and creamy, with the beater attachment of your mixer.
• Sieve the flour twice and blend into the butter and sugar on low speed until the flour has combined with the butter, it should look crumbly, do not over mix
• Place the mixture onto a floured work surface and gently bring the dough together into a ball. Again speed is the essence to stop the butter from getting to warm.
• Place the ball of dough in a bowl cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for about half an hour to allow the gluten in the flour to relax.
• Roll the dough out into an oblong shape approx ½” thick
• Cut the dough into 24 even-sized shapes, whether it be fingers, squares or triangles
• Dock each portion with a fork.
• Line the baking tray with baking parchment
• Place each portion onto the tray approx ½cm apart
• Place into the oven and bake for approx 45 minutes or until the edges start to turn a golden brown
• Lightly sieve over some icing sugar immediately they come out of the oven
• Let them stand on the baking tray to cool before serving