Shortbread

[FOTH]

Here's a recipe for Scottish shortbread that is good to make and give to folks this time of year. Only three ingredients, but very, very good!





1/2 lb butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/2-3 cups flour

Knead until everything sticks together and the bowl is clean

Press into two round cake or pie pans and prick with fork

Bake at 275 for 50 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges, cut while warm, cool and then remove from pans.

You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips for variety, or sprinkle with cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

[Kathy D]

Looks real yummy! Thanks.

[Polly]

Sounds great, I'll have to try it!

This is a sort of shortbread that one of my co-workers always asks for on her birthday:

Preheat oven to 375*F; grease and flour an 8x8 pan. I prefer a metal pan for this, but you can use pyrex if you like.

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/8 cup softened butter (6 Tablespoons)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (chop fairly fine)
1/2 cup shredded coconut

*Fruit topping

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and butter in a mixing bowl, mix at low speed until crumbly. Mix in chopped nuts and coconut. Press dough firmly and evenly into baking pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until light gold. Cool and cut into triangles to serve.

* To make this with a fruit topping, reserve 1/4 cup of dough before pressing the rest firmly and evenly in to the baking pan. Top with fruit mixture of your choice - some ideas are pineapple ice cream topping, orange marmelade, drained and blended pie filling, thick jams such as strawberry, sweet cherry, or Dutch apple. Sprinkle reserved crumbs over top, bake as above.

I like to vary the type of nuts that I use based on the topping I use. Macadamias with pineapple, walnuts with orange marmelade, almonds with sweet cherry jam, etc... It's also a very nice but rich treat made with black walnuts and no topping.

This recipe may be doubled, but when I do double it, I prefer to bake it in two 8x8 pans rather than a 9x13.