Shortbread

Intrucat nu vreau sa o lungesc foarte mult cu originile acestui biscuite, am sa explic pe scurt ce este defapt. Shortbread este un fel de biscuite tipic scotian, care se prepara, de obicei, cu ocazia Anului nou, alaturi de un tort de fructe uscate. Pentru shortbread aveti nevoie de:

- 125g faina alba sau 200g daca nu folositi faina de orez

- 75g faina de orez (optional, nu se gaseste tocmai usor, dar reteta se poate realiza si fara aceasta)

- 50g zahar brun

- 60g unt nesarat

-60g unt sarat

Aceste cantitati sunt pentru aproximativ 20-25 de biscuiti, dar puteti dubla sau chiar tripla cantitatile in asa fel incat sa va ajunga pentru cati biscuiti vreti sa faceti.

Mod de preparare:

Faina se amesteca cu zaharul brun, apoi se adauga ambele tipuri de unt si se amesteca cu mana pentru a nu incalzi aluatul. Dupa ce acesta devine un aluat propriu-zis, se baga la frigider aproximativ 30 de minute ca sa se intareasca untul. Daca untul este cald, aluatul va deveni sfarmicios si din aluat se va transforma in crumble.

Am lasat, mai sus, o poza cu un crumble, care, practic, e acelasi aluat, doar ca sub aceasta forma sfarmicioasa, folosit la diferite placinte, de obicei.

Dupa ce ati scos aluatul din frigider, presarati niste faina pe o masa, frecati si sucitorul cu faina, daca aveti unul, daca nu, dati-va mainile prin faina si incepeti sa aplatizati aluatul. Dupa ce a atins aproximativ grosimea de un centimetru sau mai putin (totusi nu foarte subtiri) puteti incepe sa decupati forma rotunda sau in forma de ursi panda (voi decideti). In tava in care urmeaza sa coaceti biscuitii, se aseaza hartie de copt. Pentru ca biscuitii sa nu se umfle, intepati-i cu o furculita de cateva ori.

Biscuitii se lasa la cuptorul preincalzit la 180C* circa 20-25 de minute. Acestia trebuie sa fie rumeniti in exterior, dar fragezi in interior.

ATENTIE!

Rumeniti nu inseamna arsi ci doar sa fie putin maronii, iar fraged nu inseamna crud, ci ca ti se topeste in gura. Asta asa ca o paranteza explicativa.:)))

Spor la gatit si pofta buna!

This is the english version of the recipe:

Since I don't want to go into too much detail about the origins of this cookie, I will briefly explain what it really is. Shortbread is a kind of typical Scottish biscuit, which is usually prepared on the occasion of the New Year, along with a dried fruit cake. For shortbread you need:

- 125g white flour or 200g if you do not use rice flour

- 75g rice flour (optional, not easy to find, but the recipe can be made without it)

- 50g brown sugar

- 60g unsalted butter

-60g salted butter

These quantities are for about 20-25 biscuits, but you can double or even triple the quantities so that they reach you for how many biscuits you want to make.

Preparation:

Mix the flour with the brown sugar, then add both types of butter and mix by hand so as not to heat the dough. After it becomes a dough itself, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden the butter. If the butter is hot, the dough will become crumbly and the dough will turn into crumble.

After removing the dough from the fridge, sprinkle some flour on a table, rub the rolling pin with flour, if you have one, if not, rub your hands through the flour and start to flatten the dough. After it has reached a thickness of about an inch or less (though not very thin) you can start cutting the dough in round shapes or in the shape of panda bears (you decide). In the tray where you are going to bake the biscuits, place baking paper. To prevent the biscuits from swelling, prick them with a fork a few times.

Leave the biscuits in the preheated oven at 180C * for about 20-25 minutes. They should be browned on the outside, but tender on the inside. CAREFUL! Browning does not mean burning, but just being a little brown, and tender does not mean raw, but that it melts in your mouth. That's an explanatory parenthesis.:)))

Bon appetit!