Shortbread

6oz Plain flour

2oz Rice flour

4oz Butter (proper; not processed with softeners)

2oz Caster sugar

-Cream the butter & sugar together, then work in the sieved flours, with a pinch of salt only if the butter’s unsalted. Don’t knead for that will toughen it. Turn out on to a lightly floured board or table and press with the hand into a large round. Don’t roll, for that will also toughen it. Put on to an ungreased baking sheet, pinch edges with finger or thumb, prick all over and bake in a moderate oven (250degF) for about an hour.

This same recipe is used to prepare rectangular cut and pricked fingers, our normal form for shortbread nowadays.

Petticoat tails

6 oz Plain flour

3oz Butter,

3oz Caster sugar

2 tablespoons Milk ( ½ gill) or Sour milk

2 teaspoons of Caraway seeds

Cream the butter & sugar, then work in the flour, seeds and milk. Then roll out to ¼ inch thick, put a dinner plate on top to cut round outside and wineglass to cut round inside, pinch outer edge of the ring, and of the middle circle, with thumb and finger, cut into segments, and with inner circle cook for around 20 minutes at 350degF (more or less as judged ready). Serve the petticoat tails together with the cut inner circle, dusted with caster sugar.

Grannie Young’s Scones

8oz Plain flour

1½ oz Butter

pinch of salt

a bare (flat) tablespoonful Granulated sugar Rub in butter, then put in 2 bare teaspoons of cream of tartar, then 1 bare teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda, first putting it in the left hand and breaking up the granules with the back of another teaspoon. Mix with milk (or sour milk) to make a fairly sloppy mix, dump this on a board and dump it about with your hand to flatten it lightly, but don’t roll it out before dusting and cutting into scones. Bake at a high temperature (200degC) for about 10 minutes or till judged ready.

about Grannie Young

Jane’s Bread

As supplied to the Galley Café Penicuik 1988-2008

for 2 x2lb loaves:

4lb flour (I use a wholemeal & strong white combination - organic of course) plus some 3 grain flour, seeds, whatever takes my fancy.

1 sachet dried yeast (or a dessertspoon of Fermipan) if you are lucky enough to get fresh yeast you should mix this with warm water and a little sugar to start it growing before mixing it into the flour.

1 tablespoon oil (sunflower or grapeseed)

1 spoon salt (or some in the bowl of my hand)

1 dessert spoon honey or sugar.

Mix all together with enough lukewarm water to (about 1 litre) to make a stiff dough. Knead for as long as you want.

leave to rise in a warm place (I put the bowl near the Rayburn or on a shelf above)

An hour or 2 later re-knead and put into the oiled tins or onto a baking tray. Some you could divide into rolls at this stage.

Bake for about 40 minutes in a hot oven (oh yes I forgot the bit about lighting the oven :)

My Rayburn is not exact so I know must be not as hot as for a pizza but pretty hot. Or you could place the bread lower down in a very hot oven.

Turn out onto a wire rack for cooling. Test by tapping the bottom. The loaves should sound hollow. They will also have left the sides of the tins.

I have been told recently that vinegar in the mix makes a good preservative if you want the bread to stay fresh but I haven't tried that yet.

Organic wholemeal and strong white flours by Marriages & Doves Farm, organic 3 Grain by Shipton Mill

Fermipan or Allinsons Dried Yeast

Organic Oils, honey, maple syrup

All from VH

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