Real Scottish Petticoat Tail Shortbread

Few things are better with a cup of tea or coffee than a wedge of butter shortbread. It’s also the perfect thing when you want something crisp to serve with a soft dessert like custard or ice cream. Shortbread keeps well and makes an excellent gift.

Because this one tastes mainly of butter, use very fresh butter. Traditional Scottish recipes don’t include salt—but they usually use salted butter. So I’ve added a tiny pinch of salt; without it, the flavor can be slightly flat.