How to make Simple and Tasty, All-Butter Shortbread

How to make Simple and Tasty, All-Butter Shortbread

I started the Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company because I wanted to bring my love of food and the river together. It always makes me happy when I am on board, and someone comes back to the buffet for some more saying, “I really shouldn’t, but it’s so tasty!” Well, this shortbread is one that gets them every time. Plus, it’s quick and easy to make. I also find that using the basic shortbread; can lead to even more tasty things, such as millionaire shortbread and raspberry and chantilly shortbread tart. I like to crumble up the shortbread and use it as a topping on ice cream or as part of a plate design for a dessert.

A Short-Shortbread History 

Shortbread was invented by the Scots and is called shortbread because of its crumbly texture. Made from around the 12th century, it was only until the 16th century when Mary, Queen of Scots, had the recipe refind to the shortbread we know and love today. 

Mrs McLintock is credited with the first printed recipe in 1736.

Christmas, Hogmanay, weddings and other special occasions would usually be the only time shortbread was served as it uses expensive ingredients, so it was viewed as a luxury. 

A fun how-to video

Here is a video of when my son and I made a batch.

The Shortbread Recipe  

The Ingredients

Prep time – 30 mins + 30 mins chilling / Cooking time – 10 to 30 minutes – shape depending / Yield – 20 – shape depending

125g Butter – soft 

55g Caster sugar, plus extra to finish

180g Plain flour

Tip – This is an all-butter shortbread, meaning that the flavour will be coming from the butter you choose. Not all butter is made equal but more expensive does not always make it better. It is worth trying different kinds of butter to see the impact. 

Tip – I like to keep my caster and granulated sugars in a jar with some Vanilla pods, which give the sugar a beautifully subtle vanilla flavour. The pods are expensive as they are challenging to grow and have to be hand-pollinated. They are the second most expensive spice after saffron. However, you can refill the jar numerous times, and the pods will keep giving off their flavour. It is definitely worth the investment. 

Remember 

It is essential to remember two things when cooking. 

The first is HOT – Hands, Oven, Tray. Wash your hands, set your oven temp (if the recipe is quick) and prepare your tray. 

The second is to clean as you go and leave the kitchen as you find it. It is not always that easy. However, it will make a huge difference and is part of the job. You are not done till the kitchen is clean! 

The Method   

HOT exception! The shortbread will need 30 minutes to rest in the fridge, so delay setting your oven, leaving enough time to preheat before you are ready to put the shortbread in the oven. My oven takes about 20 minutes to heat, so if I am cutting the shortbread into shaps, I will turn the oven on 10 minutes before taking the shortbread out of the fridge. It is crucial not to waste energy.  

  1. Cream the butter and sugar together – This should be smooth.
  2. Add the flour and stir to a paste – you can use your clean hands for this. 
  3. Roll out the shortbread to 1/2cm thick between two sheets of greaseproof paper (This stops you from adding extra flour) and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. 
  4. Good time to wash up 
  5. Preheat your oven to 190C
  6. Take the shortbread from the fridge, and after 2-3 minutes, cut out your shapes and arrange on lined baking sheets – You can use the greaseproof that you used to roll it out.
  7. Sprinkle with sugar to finish (if you want to ice or dip your shortbread, skip this step) and then bake until pale golden brown. Depending on your shapes, this can take anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes.
  8. Cool on a wire rack and once cold, store in an airtight container. They can keep well for 2-3 days; however, they are usually eaten way before then!

Tip – the more you re-roll the paste, the tougher the shortbread will become. However, cook any of your offcuts as you can add this to a crumble topping or ice cream. Please do not waste it!

Tip – if you have thick parts to your shapes, then cover with foil to stop them burning whist the rest is cooking. I find this with my reindeer cutter for the antlers.

Shortbread Variation 

Once you have tried the basic recipe, you can start to add things and experiment. 

Variations include;

  • Adding 100g of Chocolate chips with the flour 
  • Adding Orange zest with the butter and sugar 
  • Replace 40g of the flour with 50g of ground rice flour for a different texter 
  • Add 1tbs cocoa powder to make chocolate shortbread, be careful when cooking as its challenging to see the colour change. 
  • Add 100g of Rasions or Saultarners with the flour. 
  • Skip, sprinkling then with sugar and dip in chocolate instead. You could decoratively ice the tops too. 

If you add something with the flour, you can slit your batch and make several different variations at once. 

Raw shortbread will keep well in the freezer for up to three months, shaped or in logs. Allow thawing enough to cut the logs into disks and bake for an extra minute or two.  

I hope you enjoyed this simple shortbread recipe.

Facebook

Your Event On The Thames

Here at the Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company, we like to make sure your event on the Thames is one to remember.

As a family-based business, we like bringing people together. Be it for a social occasion or corporate functions.

We hope you find our website useful. We have four main areas below to help guide your general enquiry.  Further on you will find direct links to information regarding The Georgian, our menus, entertainment and our beverages.

Enjoy A Meal With A View As We Cruise The Thames

Our daily cruise offering departs from Maidenhead but must be booked in advance. You can choose between lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.  This way you are booking a table and not the whole boat. Make the Georgian your new favourite restaurant.

blue wave

Quality You Can Trust For Your Event

Get out of the office for your next corporate event and spend the day on the Thames. The Georgian has a versatile layout making her ideal for team building, product launches, and board meetings. We also have a number of packages to help you stick to your budget.

salmon wave

Create Everlasting Memories On The Thames

The Georgian is a superb venue for your wedding party or celebration, such as birthdays, anniversaries or even a school prom. Above all else we want you to enjoy your special occasion, so we are here to help make your event one to remember.

green wave

Plan Your Perfect Day Trip Out Afloat

Enjoy a premium day out on the Thames with your group. Each trip includes a food element and a live commentary or entertainment—also, the all-important cup of tea or coffee. Minimum group numbers apply; however, you will have full private use of the vessel.

Our New Blog!

Our New Blog!

Right. We now have a blog which is a big thing for several reasons, but mainly it is good for the business and is a commitment by the team to keep posting! Only time will tell if this happened; however, we are giving it a go.

Blogging

I have been aware of the importance of marketing for over 15 years and how communicating your message is key. There is lots to it and as technology improves so do the challenges to keep up for a family  business.

I have been told time and time again that we should have a blog.

“There is lots we could blog about.”

“People would find it interesting.”

“It’s great for your SEO.”

“Google likes a good blog.”

I’m sure these statements are all true however  when your busy doing the doing it is hard to think of writing things for google or that dreaded term SEO. SEO is a big thing and it is what gets your website seen!

There is lots written about blogging, why it is important, how to go about it and what to write about however this is the first time I have put this all together and given it a go.

Blog aims

The purpose of our blog is to share some of our interests, knowledge and experiences with you.

We aim to cover a wide range of topics without everything being boat related. Obviously though we do love boating and I am sure they will come up from time to time but more importantly we like to make people happy. We hope that this blog will in some way improve your day.

If there is something that you would like us to blog about then please send me an email to gareth@wmbcboats.com

Time to write some blogs then!

Make sure you have a nice day.

Gareth Pugh

Facebook

Your Event On The Thames

Here at the Windsor & Maidenhead Boat Company, we like to make sure your event on the Thames is one to remember.

As a family-based business, we like bringing people together. Be it for a social occasion or corporate functions.

We hope you find our website useful. We have four main areas below to help guide your general enquiry.  Further on you will find direct links to information regarding The Georgian, our menus, entertainment and our beverages.

Enjoy A Meal With A View As We Cruise The Thames

Our daily cruise offering departs from Maidenhead but must be booked in advance. You can choose between lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.  This way you are booking a table and not the whole boat. Make the Georgian your new favourite restaurant.

blue wave

Quality You Can Trust For Your Event

Get out of the office for your next corporate event and spend the day on the Thames. The Georgian has a versatile layout making her ideal for team building, product launches, and board meetings. We also have a number of packages to help you stick to your budget.

salmon wave

Create Everlasting Memories On The Thames

The Georgian is a superb venue for your wedding party or celebration, such as birthdays, anniversaries or even a school prom. Above all else we want you to enjoy your special occasion, so we are here to help make your event one to remember.

green wave

Plan Your Perfect Day Trip Out Afloat

Enjoy a premium day out on the Thames with your group. Each trip includes a food element and a live commentary or entertainment—also, the all-important cup of tea or coffee. Minimum group numbers apply; however, you will have full private use of the vessel.