Petticoat Tails Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.
• Using plastic wrap, press dough into a buttered 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Cut out a round from center using a 2 1/4-inch cookie cutter; discard. Put cutter back in center. Cut dough into 8 wedges; prick all over with a wooden skewer. Refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Sift 1 tablespoon granulated sugar over top. Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease a baking sheet.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and icing sugar.
• Sift in both flours and work into a smooth dough (if dough is too dry, add a little water to moisten).
• Divide into 2 equal portions.
• Roll out on a floured surface and shape into two thin rounds.
• Place round on prepared baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.
• Mark each round into six triangles.
• Bake for 30 to 25 minutes until pastry becomes a light golden colour.
• Sprinkle with castor sugar while pastry is warm.
• Cut into triangles according to marks made and cool on wire rack.

Steps:

• Cream together the butter, confectioner's sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour and salt. Press and mold dough into a long smooth roll about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Slice chilled roll into 1/8 to 1/16 inch thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Steps:

• Mix flour and sugar in a bowl, rub in butter.
• Knead well to form a smooth paste.
• Divide into two equal parts, shape and flatten into 2 x 7" rounds, approximately 1/2 " thick.
• Mark top into portions, decorate edges and prick with a fork.
• Place on a greased baking tray.
• Bake for 30 mins at 160c, 325F Gas mark 3 or until pale and golden.

Steps:

• Mix the flour and sugar together in a large bowl, and then rub in the butter - as if you were making shortcrust pastry. Use the tips of your fingers and ensure that all the butter has been rubbed in -- it should resemble sand!
• Then start to knead the paste, pushing it together to form a smooth dough - the heat of your hands whilst kneading helps it form.
• Petticoat Tails:.
• Divide the shorbread dough into two equal parts and shape them into balls, then flatten them out into two rounds - using the heel of your hand, to about 7" in diameter and 1/4" thick.
• Mark the top into equal portions - triangular in shape, and then prick the tops all over with a fork - making patterns if you wish! Crimp the edges as you would a pie crust to make a decorative edge and place them onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• (You can also use a greased and lined 7" or 8" fluted edged round sandwich/cake tin - preferably with a loose bottom for ease of taking the shortbread out. Press the dough into the tin and mark out as above).
• Shortbread fingers:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough, and shape into a rectangle, about 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Place onto a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet as before, and mark into "fingers" -- prick over with a fork again. You can also press the dough into an 8" square baking/sandwich/brownie tin - and then mark out the fingers as above.
• (Please Note: The fingers are always thicker than the petticoat tails and shortbread rounds).
• Shortbread Rounds:.
• Roll out the shortbread dough and using a biscuit or cookie cutter, cut into rounds of about 2" to 3" in diameter, about 1/4" in thickness. Place them on a well greased baking tray or cookie sheet.
• Wooden Shortbread Mould:.
• You can also place the dough into a decorative wooden shortbread mould, before turning it out on to a greased baking tray. Traditional Scottish wooden moulds can be bought online and usually have a Thistle design with heavily fluted edges.
• Bake the any of the above shortbread biscuits in a pre-heated oven 160C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for between 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale and golden - but NOT brown!
• Sprinkle extra caster sugar over the top as soon as they come out of the oven if you wish.
• Allow the shorbread bicuits to cool slightly on a cooling rack, before cutting into fingers or "petticoat tails".
• Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight tin or container. NB: These will last for about 10 to 14 days in a cool, dry and dark pantry. They can also be frozen with great results!

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• With wooden spoon, stir in milk and flour; then mix by hand until dough is smooth.
• Divide dough into two parts.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• On a lightly sugared pastry cloth, roll out dough, one part at a time, into an 8-inch circle, 1/4 inch thick.
• Place a 4-inch saucer in the center; cut around it.
• Remove saucer and flute outside edge as for a pie shell.
• Cut outer ring into eight sections.
• Keep center whole.
• Prick all over with fork.
• Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cocokie sheet.
• Bake 25- 30 minutes, or until light golden.
• Cool completely on wire rack.
• Makes 2 shortbreads.

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar and peppermint essence in a food processor and whizz until pale and creamy. Add the flour, cornflour and salt, and pulse until the mixture clumps together into small pieces. Tip onto a lightly floured work surface and bring the dough together as a ball, but don't overwork it. Roll the dough to a 25cm circle, about 1cm thick. Trim around a large plate to give a really neat edge. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Use 2 fingers to crimp all the way around the edge of the dough then, using a fork, mark dotted lines to portion the shortbread into 8 wedges. Put the tray in the fridge and chill for at least 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cook the shortbread for 25 mins until golden and cooked through. Leave to cool completely on the tray. To decorate, place a lacy doily over the shortbread and dust with a generous layer of icing sugar. Pull the doily away to reveal the beautiful lacy pattern. Keep in a tin for up to 5 days.

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add vanilla. Stir in flour and salt.
• Mold in rolls about 2 inches across. Wrap in waxed paper, then plastic wrap tightly. Chill several hours or overnight (or until needed straight out of the frig).
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut slices about 1/4 inch thick. Place a little apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.