Scottish Shortbread

In lieu of my upcoming travels to Scotland, I thought it would be appropriate to make some shortbread. I'll be honest, I have only had shortbread once and I don't even remember it, SO, I really have no idea how it is supposed to taste. I do know it is supposed to be crumbly and delicious. If that is all I am going off then this recipe is a good one because I had a whole slice of shortbread for breakfast...oops. I was only going to have a bite to try it out. I guess I will be forced to taste test a bunch of different kinds in Scotland to see what this shortbread stuff is really about. Poor me.

You will notice that my shortbread is baked in a mold. I received this beautiful shortbread stone from a dear family member when she passed away after a strong fight with breast cancer. These are for you Pauline!

  

Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray or brush vegetable oil onto bottom and sides of shortbread stone/mold. Mash all ingredients together in a large bowl with a sturdy spoon. Once mixture holds together, knead dough until uniform. Press firmly into bottom of shortbread stone. 

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until lightly browned and still somewhat springy to the touch. (I think I overcooked mine a bit. I would do 35-40 minutes next time).   Let cool in mold for an hour. Use knife around perimeter of shortbread to loosen from the mold. Carefully unmold onto rack or round platter. Let cool thoroughly. Enjoy.