shortbread, a flat, fragile, crumbly pastry, has been defined by the term “short” since medieval times. “Shortness” was created by using lots of butter or lard, rubbed into flour and baked, to make a flaky or crumbly texture. See shortening. Sweetness came from sugar, caraway comfits, sugared almonds, or candied peel. See comfit. In the late 1500s, some recipes were described in English as “short-cakes.” More palatable than a hard, salty, twice-baked biscuit, they were a popular treat in the centuries that followed, and they flourished in many different forms.
