Scottish Short Bread

This is actually two recipes in one; the first is a professional version that was handed down to the pastry apprentices by our Master Baker Instructor Chef Mark Fitch. Mark was trained early at the age of 12 as a baker and worked through several hotels as Chef Patissier in the U. K., before making his move to the U.S., and is now he is a Master Chef and principal technologist for food service product development with Pepperidge Farm.

All ingredients are given in weight measure for these recipes, but you will find many of the traditional Scottish Short Bread recipes following a 4:2:1 ratio consisting of four parts flour, two parts butter, and one part sugar, there are many variations but this is the basic formula.

Professional Version

Ingredients


1 ½
Lb.
Butter


4
Oz.
Castor sugar (fine granulated)


4
Oz.
Powdered sugar


2
Lb.
Pastry flour






Procedure Steps


1.
Cream the butter and sugar together until soft using the whip attachment on the mixer


2.
Fold in the flour using the paddle attachment on the mixer


3.
Mold into shapes on sheet pans


4.
Bake at 440° F oven until done

Home Version

Ingredients


10
Oz
Butter


2
Oz.
Superfine granulated sugar


2
Oz.
Powdered sugar


1
Lb.
All Purpose Flour






Procedure Steps


1.
Soften the butter and then cream together with the sugars using the whip attachment of a mixer


2.
Using a paddle attachment fold in the flour until well incorporated


3.
Roll out the dough into ¼? thick and then mold or cut into shapes then transfer to baking sheet pans. The dough can be decorated with the tines of a fork or other tools to create designs before baking


4.
Bake at 350° F oven for 20 minutes, then rotate pans for even baking and continue to bake until done, or about another 15 minutes