Scottie Dog Shortbread Cookies - Freestyle

Shortbreads were traditionally baked for Hogmanay, which in Scotland is associated with a wee dram and sort of gave me the idea of the cookie shape based on the famous old brand of Black and White Whisky (Vintage poster from 1949). However, several of my Great Aunts used to breed Scotties and Cairn Terriers and big old family Christmases always meant, shortbread, crackling fires and fetching in holly to the tune of barking! In England shortbread always was and still is a very popular and traditional gift, witness last year's 3 empty tins I bagged from my mother-in-law, who both gives and receives the same!

Shortbread was also among the traditional cakes doled out in some parts of Scotland on the last day of the year to local children, which by them not surprisingly was known as 'Cake Day' and for which they had traditional rhymes such as the very obvious and straight to the heart of the matter:

'Our feet are cauld, our shoes are thin.

Gies our cakes an let us rin!'

Scottie dogs have such long fur that their legs are often invisible which make them brilliant as a cookie shape as legs are notorious for falling off when made of cookie dough! However, conversely Scottish terriers have very fine long upright tails, which seem like a recipe for disaster but we'll have a go all the same.

B&W Poster thanks to RelicEclectic on Pinterest)

My favourite traditional shortbread recipe, has additions to the usual basic four ingredients of wheat flour, rice flour, butter and sugar and comes from Ayrshire, which is a rich dairy farming area and thus incorporates cream and egg into what is already a rich biscuit. The 'short' in shortbread refers to the crumbly nature of the cookie because of its high butter content.

Temperature

Preheat the oven to 355°F - 180°C

Ingredients

All my ingredients are organic.

Makes 12

2 cups - 200g - 7oz of plain aka all purpose flour

¼ cup - 25g - 1oz fine white rice flour

½ cup - 100g - 4oz butter

½ cup - 100g - 4oz sugar

2 tablespoons raw cream

1 egg yolk

1 dessert spoon of cocoa

butter for greasing

Equipment

I might have known that someone would be selling Scottie dog cookie cutters but I'm going to use the old fashioned method and draw my own in card and then once on the dough, cut around it with a sharp knife but at some point I may think of investing in a set!

Mixing bowl

1 sharp and 1 flat bladed knife

Rolling pin and board

Fork

Cardboard

Cookie pan or tray

Fish slice

Decoration

Tartan fabric or ribbon

Liquorice

Icing sugar

Sift dry ingredients and rub in the butter. Divide the mix into two

Add the cocoa to one half and mix again.

Add the cream and egg yolk together in a glass jug.

Pour half into each of the dry ingredients and mix and blend together using a flat knife.

Knead the dough lightly - do not over-work.

Flour the board and rolling pin and then roll out to ¼" - 5mm thickness. For the chocolate dough, dust the board and pin with cocoa powder.

Use the cutter if you have one or as in my case the cardboard shape you have made.

Create the fur with a fork.

Transfer the cookies onto a lightly greased baking tray with the aid of a fish slice, being careful of the tail!

Bake for around 15 minutes

Sprinkle the plain Scottie with sugar when cool.

Use your creative skills to bring out the features of the dogs with a little liquorice - you will be surprised how it changes the personality of each one as to how you place the eyes.

I made some fabric ribbon bows.

Put the Scotties on a piece of tartan and a paper doily.

These make great presents!

Enjoy and lang may your lum reek from an ex Scotland dweller now living in France.