Carla Gilliss wrote:
> This is another one of my family recipes that my family has been creating
> for over 30+ years. Please note that NOTHING is allowed to be subsituting
> for the butter called for in this recipe. They don't turn out half as well.
> This isn't a recipe that can be messed with. IF you feel like being
> creative, it will have be done with the finishing of the cookies. Examples:
> different shapes, candies, nuts, flavoured icing, etc...
>
> Scotch Cookies
>
> 1/2 cup corn starch
>
> 1/2 cup icing sugar
>
> 1 cup all-purpose flour
>
> 3/4 cup butter (softened)
>
> Sift together corn starch, icing sugar and flour with large spoon (NOT
> METAL) thoroughly blend in butter . Work with hands until soft smooth dough
> forms, if necessary refrigerate 1 hour or until easy to handle. Shape in 1
> inch balls. Place about 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet flatten
> with lightly floured fork or roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into
> shapes with cookie cutters. Decorate with candied cherries, coloured
> sprinkles or nuts if desired. Bake 300 F. for 15 to 20 minutes or until
> edges are lightly browned. Time will vary with size of cookies.
>
>
>
Scotch Cookies!!! I cannot believe that your family are of Scots
descent, though I suppose if you live in America long enough something
gets disconnected. You have my Scots blood boiling - 30 years, forsooth,
people have been making shortbread for centuries. You could at least
make an effort to get the terminology correct.

As it happens, that is not a recipe for shortbread anyway - adding corn
starch, or corn flour as the Scots call it, results in something called
"melting moments". If you add custard powder you get "yo-yos".
*Shortbread* is not a cookie, nor a biscuit, it is just shortbread. And
Scotch is something that comes in a bottle.

Traditional shortbread may include rice flour, my mother never used it
and I don't care for it. But decorating with coloured sprinkles or icing
is an abomination.

There are two traditional shapes. You can make it in fingers, which are
called shortbread fingers. Or you can shape it into a round. it is
possible to buy wooden moulds which leave you with an embossed
decoration of a thistle or the like, but I think they're twee. You press
round the edges with a fork, prick it all over with the fork and score
the top into wedges to assist breaking up the finished product - this is
known as petticoat tails. No sprinkles or nuts.

Christine