Saturday Sweetness - Scottish Shortbread

We've been on a bit of a Scottish kick lately (and I'm sure you can tell that I've been going through our wedding photos again). Hubby is wanting some haggis (ugh, not my thing thank you very much). My thing is Scottish Shortbread.

Shortbread is pretty much the sweetened version of a Scottish medieval biscuit or bread roll. When we went to the Scottish Games a few weeks ago I snagged some toffee shortbread that was quite tasty! It was good, but I still prefer the basic recipe and I use the one below often, with some variations depending upon what I feel like. I have added walnuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, etc. It's pretty much up to your imagination.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 cup BUTTER (don't use margarine - 100% butter is the key to the taste)

2 1/2 cups flour

Heat oven to 275 degrees F. (I use a food processor to speed this next part up.) Combine the two sugars and process until they are very fine. Cut butter up into about 10 pieces and add to the sugars, pulsing until the sugar granules disappear. Add flour and pulse until the entire mixture is moist and crumbly.

Place entire mixture in a plastic bag and press it together to form a dough (mixture will be sticky). Knead lightly until dough holds together well. Remove from bag and shape the dough into little balls, about 1" in diameter. Place on ungreased cookie sheets about 1 1/2 - 2" apart. Use a fork or glass bottom to flatten each ball.

Bake from 45 minutes to an hour or until the cookies are a pale golden color. When you remove them from the oven, take the cookies off the sheets and place them on wire racks to cool. Will make about 50 cookies.