Shortbread

Shortbread is a crisp, butter-rich biscuit made from flour, butter, sugar and salt, with a short, sandy crumb. It is most closely linked with Scotland, and it is baked across the United Kingdom today. The name refers to texture rather than size: in baking, "short" means crumbly, and the high proportion of butter is what makes the biscuit break cleanly rather than chew.

What it really is

Flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt are rubbed or creamed into a stiff dough, then rolled, pressed or shaped and baked in a moderate oven until the biscuit is pale, with only the edges turning golden. There is no raising agent, so it stays dense and crumbly rather than light. The ratio of butter to flour decides how tender the result is, and the butter gives both the flavour and the texture.

Shortbread is made without egg, and it is vegetarian. The richness comes from butter alone, so a different fat changes both the flavour and the texture.

How it's served

• Cold or at room temperature, with tea or coffee.
• Whole rounds, fingers or wedges, often arranged on a plate or kept in a tin.
• With ice cream or fresh fruit when it is served as a dessert.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the flour and the fat as wheat flour and butter, and say so if a vegetable fat is used instead.
• Flag wheat, which is in the flour, and milk, which is in the butter. List any nut, egg or flavouring as a separate line.
• State the portion, such as one finger or one round, so a single piece can be priced.
• Mark it as vegetarian if that suits your menu.