Scottish shortbread cookies

Scottish shortbread cookies are rich,buttery in flavour and crunchy in texture.
As the name implies,this cookie is Scottish in origin and is made with just four ingredients,butter,sugar,rice flour or( cornstarch/cornflour)and plain flour.
You can bake in any shape,but traditionally it is baked round and then cut into wedges.
The wedges are called "petticoat tails",as it refers to the look like bell hoop petticoats worn by the court ladies in the 12 century.
Shortbread cookies are made by hand using one large bowl!

Ingredients:
Plain flour or maida (sieved)-3/4 cup or 95 gms,
Rice flour-1/4 cup-( you can use cornflour/cornstarch if rice flour is not available),
Granulated sugar-1/4 cup or 50 gms-( I always powder my sugar as the crystals are big)
Cold butter-1/2 cup or 113 gms.

Method:
We need a 8 inch tart pan.
There is no need to grease the pan.
In a large bowl add plain flour,rice flour and sugar.

Mix with a whisk.

Take cold butter and grate it over the flour mixture( it is very necessary that your butter should be cold.( keep in the freezer before using it)

With your finger tips work the butter into the flour by lifting small handful and rubbing the butter and flour together.

It should not form a dough,but a little like a coarse crumb.

Transfer the mixture into the tart pan.

The mixture is all separated but do not worry.
Pat lightly and evenly press the mixture all around into the tart pan,smoothing the top.

Pre heat oven to 300F or 150 C
Put tart pan in the fridge for 10 minutes while the oven is pre-heating.
Take out the pan from the fridge and place it on a baking tray.

Using a knife score the top of the shortbread into 16 wedges and  use a fork to light pricks on the surface.

Lightly pat the mixture again.

Run the knife very lightly( no deep cuts) as it helps in slicing the shortbread and prevents the shortbread from rising.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until light biscuit colour.

Cool for 5 minutes on rack,then remove the tray.

While still warm,cut the 16 wedges.

Remove the outer rim once the tart is cool and then place it on wire rack to cool completely.

These cookies can be kept in an air tight container for a week.