This is my great-grandmother’s shortbread recipe. She came to Canada from Scotland with my grandfather in 1908, just before the Great War.
My grandmother was born in 1922, when she was growing up, shortbread a special Christmas treat to enjoy and share over during the holidays best eaten with a hot cuppa, a wee dram of whisky and maybe a poem or two.
As far back as I can remember, every holiday my grandmother’s shortbread was all made during Christmas and we have enjoyed for decades. My own grandmother in her later days, well into her 80′, made batch after batch in her old round pie tins. She stored them in cookie tins she saved throughout the years, and stocked up on pounds and pounds of butter she bought on sale and stored on her freezer.
This is as traditional a Scottish recipe for shortbread that you can get- I have made dozens of batches over the past 40y years; When given as gifts or served for dessert at Christmas dinner, people always, always rave about these shortbread cookies and tell me they are the best shortbread cookie they have ever eaten.
Pre-heat oven to 375F (you will lower to 350)
This recipe will make 2 round pie tins or 1 large 9x13in tray of shortbread cookies. I usually line with parchment.
Grandma Brown’s Shortbread!
Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup icing sugar
1 cup corn starch
1 cup rice flour
1lb unsalted butter (yes, its a lot of butter)
large pinch of salt
Directions:
Cream butter ( I have done by hand or using stand mixer)
Cream in sugar
Cream in rest of ingredient until blended.
Spread dough into prepared pans, it will be very sticky.
Put into oven on middle rack; lower heat to 350F.
Back 25 mins or until golden- do not overbake.
When cooled slightly, after about 20 minutes, prick surface lightly with fork.
Cut into desired size squares while still warm, do not remove from pan (they will fall apart unless cooled) let cool.
Store airtight or freeze.
Enjoy!
This shortbread recipe freezes well and keeps a long time. I hope you like it as much as my family and friends do.
Other Vintage and Family Recipes:
Christmas Cherry Balls
