Scottish Shortbread

This delicious, delicate cookie is made from a mixture of sugar and flour that has been shortened (made soft and crumbly) by the addition of fat. In this case, butter is used, but lard, margarine, or oil would have the same effect—although they would not produce the same wonderful flavor. These cookies are the epitome of “buttery.”

Scotland is probably the country best known for shortbread. There, the cookies are traditionally made around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. The d