Scottish Shortbread

Scottish shortbread is a decadent biscuit made with flour, sugar, and a generous amount of butter giving it a crunchy, crumbly texture with a melt-in-the-mouth feel. Traditionally, the biscuits are placed in circular moulds and baked in a round, flattened shape, pricked all over with a fork and dusted with caster sugar, although they may be baked in a rectangular shape that is then cut into shortbread fingers.

The first recipe for Scottish shortbread was found in a cookbook from 1735, and since then, it has been gaining popularity throughout the country. The cookies were first made from leftover bread dough, which was dried in the oven until it became similar to a rusk.

During the years, the yeast in bread was replaced by butter, and biscuit (twice-baked) bread developed into shortbread. Even though it was considered a festive food in the past, eaten on Christmas or New Year's Eve, today it is consumed throughout the year.

Today, there are numerous variations - the cookies are sometimes seasoned with salt, flavored with coriander, caraway, orange peel, and almonds.