A traditional Scottish dessert, shortbread is a favourite festive snack come holiday season. But how can you tell if the sweet and savoury bars you're buying are of top-notch quality (Do you really want to eat something that tastes more bark than butter)? We checked in with expert baker and shortbread connoisseur Carl Stryg -- also owner of Coach House Shortbread -- for his tips on finding and making a sensational shortbread.
What's Hidden In The Ingredients Label
When looking to pick up some shortbread, the first way you can tell if it's top-notch quality is to look at the ingredients list. "Shortbread is really all about butter. Any other substitution makes it cheaper for the manufacturer, but it won't be as flavourful for the consumer," says Stryg.
"Most shortbreads will have flour as a first ingredient, followed by butter, sugar and salt. There may also be some other preservatives -- corn flour is quite commonly used in England, for example. But if the label lists anything other than these ingredients, my advice is to steer clear of the product."
Stryg suggests you reach for shortbreads where butter is listed first. Likewise, when whipping up a batch of cookies yourself, look for recipes where butter is the first additive. This will ensure the shortbread you eat melts in your mouth.
It's All About Texture
One of the elements that makes nibbling on shortbread so satisfying is its consistency.
"Shortbread should be crisp and then should melt in your mouth," says Stryg. "But there's also another approach where shortbread may have a bit more body and a bit more texture."
And what about flavour? "When you get into mass-produced shortbread, you may get a flavour that's all flour -- that means there's not enough butter being used in the recipe."
Storing Shortbread Properly
"The trick to storing shortbread is to reduce exposure to oxygen," says Stryg. "Oxygen oxidizes butter, making it turn rancid and shifting the flavour from savoury to moldy."
He says the flavour of shortbread will last for months if the cookies are stored in a sealed container. "Keep the dish on the counter, in a cooler, darker space and avoid opening or closing the lid often. This will ensure your cookies have a long shelf life."
Keeping them cool -- but not too cool -- is also a good option. "[These cookies] are very porous, so storing them in the fridge can also extend shelf life. But never freeze shortbread. Freezers today are mostly frost-free, so they have a built-in dehumidifier -- this can pull moisture out of almost any packaging, causing the product inside to dry out."
How To Eat Shortbread
"Shortbread is really a classic group of ingredients, every culture has a version of it -- butter, flour and sugar. You can eat the cookies with hot chocolate and tea. Or you can get savoury shortbreads, which you can treat like hors d'oeuvres crackers. With these I suggest adding smoked salmon, cheese or wine jelly. Shortbread can become magnificent appetizers with very little effort."
Check out some of Stryg's savoury shortbread appetizer tips here.