If you have several recipes for Scottish Shortbread, how do you choose which one(s) to use?

Question

Hi!
I have quite a few recipes for Scottish Shortbread, including ones for Pitcaithly Bannock, and Petticoat Tails, some with
rice flour added, some with cornflour, some that use caster sugar, and some that call for icing sugar, even brown sugar. Oh, yes... and
shortbread cookies!

Do you have any favourite kinds to recommend? Or have you some guidelines to follow so I can choose only one or two recipes?

They all vary with respect to the flour-sugar-butter measures also. Please?

Thank you very much!

Answer 1

when i have more than 1 recipe for the same thing, i look through the ingredients and make the one that calls for the least amount of ingredients and take the least amount of time.
the following recipe is the one my mother used all the time when i was growing up. i have never made it myself so i am not sure how easy or hard it is to make.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, allspice and salt. Divide into two equal parts, and set one aside. Add the flour and butter to the other half, and stir until blended. It should be slightly grainy.
Press the dough evenly into an 8 inch square pan. Cut into 1x2 inch pieces using a knife, and prick with the tines of a fork. This will keep the shortbread from warping while baking. Sprinkle the reserved sugar and spice liberally over the top, brushing into all of the cuts and holes.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden at the edges. Do not brown. Cool completely in the pan, and break into pieces along the lines to serve.

Answer 2

I made whipped shortbread cookie at Christmas time that I received many compliments on. I found it on the Taste of Home web site.

Since you have so many, pick a couple that call out to you as far as ease of preparing and common ingredients, perfect making a basic shortbread and then go from there.

Answer 3

Make a batch from each recipe, keep separate, try yourself and on friends. Find out which is best, mark recipe which is preferred.

Answer 4

As the old saying goe's "The proof of the pudding is in the eating "

Answer 5

I would look at my grocery cupboard, and see which receipt i could bake without doing shopping. Follow your instinc.

Answer 6

Whatever you do, use an all-butter recipe - don't try substituting it with margarine.