Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Shortbread

From Wikipedia:

Shortbread is a type of biscuit (cookie) which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts oatmeal (although plain white flour is common today, and other ingredients like ground rice or cornflour are sometimes added to alter the texture). Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word short). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The related word "shortening" refers to any fat that may be added to produce a short (crumbly) texture. [1]


However, if you ask me, its named thus because it shortens your life. Its packed with butter, and all the other good stuff that's bad for you. Oh, hangon, my bad. Its just the butter....

Anyway, its darn easy to make, and tastes delicious. I just had a wedge for breakfast with a cup of piping hot instant coffee....(what to do, no one to make filtered coffee for me)....

The recipe:
2 cups plain flour
½ cup rice flour
1/3 cup sugar
250 gm butter
1 tablespoon water

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer, or food processor. Add flour, water....mix a bit until cohesive, turn out onto table surface and knead a little bit.

Make out 8" diameter discs (recipe makes 2x 8" discs), or a square tray approximately (pi r square yields a total area of 100 sq inches for two discs) 10x10 inches....for the same thickness.

Run some lines over the dough, (for ease of cutting later on) and prick the dough with a fork, randomly, or systematically, depending on your mood.

Sprinkle some extra castor sugar evenly onto the discs.

Bake in 160C oven (140C if fan forced) for about 40 minutes.



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The texture of my shortbread was very crumbly, melt in the mouth. I think if you want a harder consistency, knead a bit more. Unlike massages, where kneading relaxes you, I find the more you knead these butter doughs the harder it gets. Hmmm, come to think of it, massages can also have the same effect....

Yeah, so try it out. Easy peasy.....

26 comments:

"Joe" who is constantly craving said...

it depends which part of the body, the massage is targeted at la..if not..i will b asking them to massage my stomach..maybe the six pack might surface..

this looks easy to make..but easier to buy off the shelf..HAHA

PureGlutton said...

This is a very buttery & fattening cookie! I avoid it at all costs, hehe!

Precious Pea said...

So easy???? Err...ok..seems like can't go wrong and I will give this a try. Still thinking what to make for CNY. I only know how to make pineapple tart (from scratch of course).

Anonymous said...

I love shortbread. I've always wanted to make some (the temptation is greater when one's oven is busted). So....I think I'll drop by your place tonite for a sampler, eh? ;-) Mmuaks.

fatboybakes said...

pea, yeah, easy. do you make your own jam? must make own jam then only nice. hate those packeted bulk jam.

pureglutton, buttery & fattening and you're avoiding it? then you arent living up to your name wor?!! but actually, if you think about it, its the same quantity of butter as a cake of the same diameter. so two wedges will have same calorific content as a slice of cake....

nipples, make use of your new oven la....go on, give it a try....

HairyBerry said...

Since oatmeal absorbs cholestrol due to its fibrous form, i guess that's the reason why it was combined with butter to make shortbread. i laughed so hard at your life-shortening statement. so farny lar..hehe..

as i was telling AWOL the other day, i hope to make some cookies this cny. i guess i'll add some tangerine or orange peel and just call it some "double happiness fortune blessing spirited horses jade dragon fire phoenix" cookie. thanks for the recipe, dude! ;)

Babe_KL said...

yumyum loved this, pls bring some this Sat :p

Anonymous said...

babe, have to make another batch...hahah, the kids oridi whacked most of it...oh, and me too la.

hairy, yes, yes, good idea. i also bought a can of ghee to make ghee biscuits.... for CNY...ostensibly...haw haw...

GUFFAW, my word verification (coz i didnt log on) is CORONATI...(is that coronary mati?)

Anonymous said...

oops, forgot to reply AWOL.
see reply to babe, re dropping by for some. muaks too....

Rebecca Saw said...

so simple, definitely gonna try..since i got all the ingredients already!

Anonymous said...

Shortbread sounds good; the massage even better! ;)

Anonymous said...

TNG, ooh, try try and let me know the outcome okay.

LFB, i dunno what to say.....

Precious Pea said...

Of course own pineapple jam from scratch. I don't believe in short cut when it comes to making this sort of thing. It's just like being told to buy ready made lotus paste but make own mooncake skin and bake it. That is so cheating..hehe. Well..no offence to those who really do that but yes, I made my own lotus paste too!

Julian Si said...

Drooooooool!

fatboybakes said...

jules drools...

precious pea... good on ya woman, making your own jam. its hard to find a good woman these days who is willing to do all these things from scratch. most of these traditions died off with their grandmothers. hey, since you're into making stuff, have you checked out the gourmet halls in BSC? aiyo, they selling stuff like POMELO PEEL, for like exorbitant prices. now i know what to do with all my leftover pomelo skin....

Henry Yeo said...

is shortbread supposed to be that hard?

Tummythoz said...

Say ecpc but still scary for me. If I fail again .. anyone wants a sad looking table top oven?

fatboybakes said...

tummythoz, really wor, its just butter and flour...

henry, yes, shortbread is more a biscuit, not a bread...havent you tried those commercial ones? in fact, mine was softer than i'd like it. should be harder i reckon...

Precious Pea said...

Pomelo peel...good stuff!! Had it once at Yung Kee in HK and paid exorbitant price for that dish. Braised with superior stock...got lots of dried scallop lor. Very very nice...just like eating errmm...radish or squash. Love it!

No chance to visit gourmet halls yet, will go shopping for baking stuff soon. Yes, I aim to overcome my phobia of baking!!! YAY!!!

PureGlutton said...

It's just that I'm not a butter lover, hehe! Can be glutton in other stuff, lolz!
Ahh...must start my CNY cookies baking this weekend.

Anonymous said...

You can't go wrong with gobs of butter in a cookie. Butter and sugar. It's meant to be heavenly.

fatboybakes said...

duodishes, yes indeed, you cant. MY, i love your blog...so elegant!!! can i link you?

fatboybakes said...

pureglutton, really? not a butter lover? how can you be a glutton? butter is the ultimate in the cardinal sin of gluttony....

pea, the gourmet hall not for baking stuff la... make la, pomelo peel, since you so industrious about making from scratch...

Ciki said...

it's called shortbread because it's SHORT and EASY to make, and fatboybakes is gonna make/has already made some for me! hurhur

Diary of Kay El said...

Love shortbreads esp homemade ones and ESP those with ground almonds or hazelnuts. Yours look beautiful...I made some ages ago http://diaryofkayel.blogspot.com/2007/05/almond-shortbread-cookies.html#links
I am inspired to make a batch this weekend..Aiyo.... there goes my resolution to eat better.

Unknown said...

i just tried one. but it didn't work with me. it was crumbly before baking but after baking it is so hard also by using the knife it is hard to cut.what is the reason??