Petticoat Tails

Another baking day and today I've decided to make Petticoat Tails. This is a type of Shortbread - a crumbly biscuit that has origins in Scotland. It is a rather funny name for a biscuit but it is so called because of its shape. I have also often wondered about the word "Shortbread". As per my understanding, this biscuit is so called because of shortening added to it to make it crumbly (short). Shortening is a type of fat added to biscuits.

Shortbread is similar in taste and texture to Nankhatai - its Indian cousin made with Ghee and sometimes has nuts added to it. Nankhatai has a moreish taste and I've always loved it which explains my affinity towards Shortbread :-) I've also baked Shortbread at home and most of the time the results have been to my satisfaction. I say "most" because I've had accidents couple of times... Although the procedure is simple, you need to follow the recipe exactly and have to be watchful when you are baking Shortbread as it can brown quickly.

The three main ingredients of Shortbread are Sugar, Butter and Plain Flour. The recipe I usually follow includes Rice flour which is added to make the texture even shorter. Cornflour or Semolina can also be added. I sometimes also add Vanilla essence to make Vanilla Shortbread. You can give it any shape you like as long as you have the cutters/tins of correct size. I usually make Petticoat Tails in a 8" round cake tin with removable bottom because I do not have square/rectangular tins.

Petticoat Tails

Ingredients

100 gms Caster Sugar
150 gms Unsalted Butter
180 gms Plain Flour
55 gms Rice Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Essence (optional)

Method

• Take the Butter out from the refrigerator few hours before you plan to make Shortbread to bring it to room temperature. You can measure the required amount of Butter and cut it into small pieces to speed up its softening process.

• With help of a hand-held mixer, cream together Butter and Sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add Vanilla essence (if you are using it) and mix well.

• Measure the Plain Flour and Rice Flour, add Baking Powder and Salt to it and mix using a spoon. Then sift the flours into the Butter-Sugar mixture.
• Mix the flours well with the Butter-Sugar mixture. You can use a wooden spoon for this but I prefer to use my hands.
• Grease the bottom of cake tin and transfer the mix into it. Spread the mix evenly on cake-tin and flatten the surface with a spoon.
• With help of a fork, make few marks on the surface of cookie mix - this is to make sure that steam escapes when the Shortbread is being baked.
• Now with help of a knife, lightly cut the Shortbread into eight pieces - similar to Pizza (do not cut it through though)
• Bake it at 170 C for 30-35 minutes. Keep a watch because it browns quickly once it's baked.
• Allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Then take the bottom of cake-tin out and cut it with knife again and separate the Shortbread pieces.

• Allow it to cool. I sometimes sprinkle Icing Sugar on the surface of the Shortbread.