The oldest biscuit in Britain (13th century but probably much older) is the Aberffraw Biscuit (middle pic) Legend has it that a Welsh king was walking on the beach and his wife spotting a pretty scallop shell, asked for a biscuit to be baked in the same form. However, a far more realistic source for the biscuit was the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, 8th Century onward with pilgrims wearing badges on their hat in the shape of a scallop shell.
But in reality, it's just another shortbread biscuit like its cousin the Scottish shortbread or the French Sable Breton and many others.
Personally, I like making the Sable Breton because it lends itself well to the local butter.
So do you like shortbread and what's your favourite type?
They're not at the top of my list or anything, but they're not bad, and I occasionally have one if someone has them set out.
We Americans don't do "tea" here, so we have no tradition of "tea and biscuits" - you're far more likely to encounter "coffee and doughnuts" here, or perhaps even "Starbucks coffee-flavored ice-cream dessert and triple-fudge brownie" - but those shortbread cookies aren't uncommon around the holidays, usually sold in a round tin.
I make Shortbread. I've been known to sell the surplus.
Never give me anything made with margarine and try telling me it's shortbread. It can ONLY be made using salted butter, plain flour and sugar. Any recipe that adds extra - with the exception of chocolate - is NOT SHORTBREAD!!!
Heathens!
If you buy it in a supermarket it's probably not real shortbread because they add E numbers to it for "shelf life". Utter bollocks. If it's real shortbread it'll be eaten LONG before and possibility of it going off.
They taste okay but I don't think they are worth the calories and fat that they come in. I would rather have peanut butter cookie, it has calories and fat too but it has a taste factor that makes it a better use of my money and calorie budget.
Yes, there used go be a place that made shortbread cookies. They would sell bags of the broken ones really cheap. They also were famous for making hard tack for the Civil War re-enactment guys. I used to buy them both.
Shortbread is shortbread whatever the shape. I like them all
I've had a Victoria biscuit box for Christmas I don't personally see the point in some they are just the same chocolate on a biscuit in a different shape.
My sister's grandmother (grandma) always used to have them sitting around for months, and I would sneak and eat some... Or they would be filled with other stuff.. Don't think they sell them much in the U. S anymore.. I guess depending on the region..
