Short bread I think is quintessentially scottish with it's buttery crispness. I've added some different flavours to these more because I can't stop myself rather than it needs it.
170g Plain Flour
30g Semolina
50g Sugar
125g Butter
Caster Sugar for dusting
Combine the flour, semolina and sugar. The semolina helps make you shortbread short. Next rub in your butter. Due to the quantity of butter it get very sticky so it will be easier to do this in a freestanding mixer.
It should now be coming together so remove it from the bowl and form it into a dough by hand.
Roll the dough out to the thickness you want your biscuits, they will not change during the bake, and cut out your shapes. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkle with caster sugar. Prick the tops with a fork and bake for 20-25 minutes at 170C
When they are baked to a light golden colour remove them from the oven and immediately sprinkle with caster sugar again.
Womersley Foods are producers of the most delicious vinegars, jellies and dressings made from home grown fruit and herbs inYorkshire since 1979. I am totally in love with their products and actively seek out recipes I can add them to.
My round shortbread has 1 tbsp of Orange & Mace Dressing from Womersley along with 30g of Dark Chocolate Chips added to it.
The shortbread fingers have 1 tsp of Lavender Extract and 1 tbsp of Lavender Honey added to them.
You can add any of your favourite flavours, 1 tsp of Caraway seeds and Chocolate also work well or 1 tsp Almond Essence with a few chopped Glace Cherries always goes down well.
Tablet is a scottish version of fudge, crumblier than fudge but just as sugary and sweet. My mother always made it for bonfire night and called it Helensburgh Candy.
2lbs Sugar
1/4lb Butter
1 Cup Milk
400g Tin Condensed Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Melt the sugar, butter and milk slowly in a heavy based pan. If you melt it too quickly you will have a grainy texture. When it begins to boil add the condensed milk. slowly bring it back to the boil stirring all the time. Continue stirring while it boils till it starts to colour and the temperature reaches 240F. It you don't have a sugar thermometer it takes about 15-20 minutes and you can test it by dropping a small amount into iced water. If it sets immediately it's ready.
Remove the pan from the heat add the vanilla and beat till it cools. You can do this in a freestanding mixer to save your arms. Once it becomes thick and your mixer starts to struggle pour it into a 23cm x 17cm baking tray lined with parchment. Be careful not to over beat as this will make it too crumbly.
Leave it to cool completely then cut into bite sized cubes. I know it sounds like a bit of a faff but it's not really and so worth it.
