Friday, 28 August 2015

Highland Fling and simple Highland butter shortbread biscuits



We went to Scotland. Not the highlands but we did dance. I don't think it was a highland fling even though I did get flung around quite a bit. Maybe that's because I kept going in the wrong direction. One of Hannah's old school friends got married in Edinburgh last month (18/7) and we were invited. As her friend is an opera singer and her new husband a conductor/concert pianist the music was awesome in the true meaning of the word. Really awesome...not your favourite band awesome but Bach and Mendelssohn awesome...(you wouldn't know it, they look more like hipsters or an indi band than classically trained musicians) It's a shame the video files are too long for the blog so I can't post them. Just the bagpipes...so I recommend fingers in ears if you click on it...

We were greeted on arrival by a kilted bagpiper and then more kilts as the groom and his brothers, the cute little nephews, then gradually all the guests appeared. The wine flowed, the band played and everyone danced the night away...

These highland shortbread biscuits remind me of my highland fling...



It is so easy to make Butter shortbread just like the real Mccoy. If you've never made them before you MUST have a go...

Butter shortbread

Ingredients:

  • 2oz  caster sugar plus a little extra. I used golden caster sugar
  • 4oz butter or non-dairy alternative. I used slightly salted butter
  • 6oz plain flour. I used strong white flour because I didn't have any regular plain flour and they turned out amazingly  good. 
Method:
  1. Cream the butter and 2oz of sugar.
  2. Add the flour and continue to beat together. Draw together and make into a ball of dough.
  3. Sprinkle a little sugar onto a clean work surface and roll out the dough until about half and inch, that's about a centimetre thick. I made twelve biscuits.
  4. Cut into fingers and place onto a baking tray prepared with baking parchment. Prick with the tines of a fork and bake for about fifteen to twenty minutes until pale golden brown. 
  5. Leave to cool for a little before transferring to a wire rack. 
I'm not a big biscuit fan but these are extremely moreish and so easy to make.  

I've just put the second batch into the oven...double quantities this time...

I've got photos of Edinburgh city that I'll share later...
debx

8 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful wedding and Scotland, how fun!

    Love the shortbread recipe, but I am curious as to the flour you used, strong white? Not quite sure what that means as we don't have flour like that in the US. Will have to do some research.

    Have a great weekend Debby!

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  2. Hi Tracey,
    It was beautiful. As was Scotland. We had hoped to stay a little more that three days and explore the highlands. I would have loved to see the lochs, especially Loch Ness, but we had to get back home. Never mind, now we have an excuse to go back and explore more.

    Strong flour is the one we use for making bread. It doesn't have any raising agents in it. I think you would just call it bread flour. Any other white flour that's suitable for biscuits (cookies) would do. I hope that helps.

    Hope you have a great weekend too.
    debx

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  3. That looks like such a fun wedding. Love this sort of dancing and I love Edinburgh too OH and shortbread ;-)

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    1. It was so much fun and I wouldn't have even thought of making shortbread if we hadn't gone. All good...
      debx

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  4. I love Edinburgh! I can dance a Highland Fling, Sword Dance and any number of reels (thanks to my primary school education in the UK), so I would have been in my element! How wonderful. Shortbread too - just love it but I only seem to bake it at Christmas and give it away wrapped in cellophance and red and green ribbon…. maybe I should make some just for myself.

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    1. Oh you clever thing. I wish I knew all those dances. I'm sure that I must have learnt them too but I couldn't remember any of them. What a great idea about making it for Christmas gifts. I might pinch your idea.
      debx

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  5. what fun! I think weddings are the perfect celebration as long as I'm not organizing them. I like to just attend :) mmmm, shortbread....

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    1. I'm sure it must have been a headache for you but an amazing accomplishment when it all ran smoothly. I know, not good all that butter...it is so more-ish...
      dd

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