Madge’s Scotch Shortbread Cookies
I believe Scottish is the PC term for people and things from Scotland, but my former mother-in-law Jane Loza wrote 'Scotch' when she gave me the recipe in 1982 so that's how I'm sharing it.
Madge was a friend of Jane's who was born in Scotland, brought this recipe across the pond with her, and still had a very strong brogue when I met her sometime in her mid-70s,
Honestly, I had never had a real shortbread cookie before tasting these. And trust me Girl Scout shortbread cookies don't even deserve to be called shortbread when compared to these buttery melt-in-your-mouth delights.
I share the traditional method exactly as it was scribbled on a piece of green bar paper that Jane had handy. I know I just dated myself here, but I kind of like using secret language that might send a digital native off to AI to decode it. Anyway, the first couple of times I made these I followed exactly. Then Santa brought me a KitchenAid stand mixer and I couldn’t help myself but to try the dough hook to make these. The only difference is the 45 minutes I save by not mixing and kneading by hand.
THE RECIPE
6c flour
lb butter softened
1c sugar
Preheat oven to 300º
Traditional method:
On a Formica counter, work butter and sugar together with your hands
Gradually add the flour and mixing and kneading until the dough is smooth and workable
Press dough into an 11X13 pan
Use a rolling pin to level out
Use a fork to dimple the entire surface at 1/4" to 1/2" intervals
Bake until lightly golden (60 to 75 minutes)
Cut into squares (your choice of size) while hot
Not so traditional method:
In a stand mixer, blend the sugar with the butter
With dough hook attached, gradually add flour until dough comes together as described above press into pan and follow remaining directions.
One batch makes between 4 and 5 dozen 1-1/2” square cookies.
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