The following description of how to make shortbread won first prize in a shortbread recipe competition in the "Daily Telegraph and Morning The making of shortbread requires a good deal of patience and a little experience, too, for the best shortbread is made with no moisture other than the butter, Therefore patient kneading is necessary, The palm of the hand should be used for flattening instead of a rolling pin, and the whole process should be executed in a warm kitchen (and not as for pastry, a marble slab in a cold room), In cold weather the butter might be heated slightly to make it pliable, but on no account must it be allowed to become oily, otherwise the delicate flavour of the shortbread will be spoiled,.A little salt (just a pinch) should always be added, although 'P unsalted butter should be u:
Here is the recipe:
Six oz, plan flour, 20z, rics flour, 4oz, fresh pure butter, 202, castor sugar, pinch of salt, Weigh up ingredients and sift rice flour and plain flour together. Place this on right top corner of board; place sugar on left top corner and butter in centre. Dip the hands in p. the flour-bin and commence by working the butter slightly to warm it, then knead in the flour and sugar gradually—a little at a time until all is incorporated with butter, Then knead the dough until a pliable paste is formed, Then mould with hands into a neat round and flatten out with palm of hand, dipped in flour, rubbing the paste in a circular motion until large enough to go into a round sponge tin, Press evenly down with tips of fingers, Smooth centre with palm of hand, Next use a silver fork, and with the butt-end notch the edge all round, Prick the centre all over with the prongs, digging the prongs to the bottom of the tin, Bake in a cool oven till golden brown, about 30 minutes, Cut while hot' in tin, then turn out on to a wire tray to cool.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.