In order to create delicious cookies, the shortbread dough must be shaped into individual pieces. A rotary molding machine is typically used to shape the dough into cookies of the desired thickness. The thickness is crucial, as too thick and the cookies will be too doughy while too thin and they will be too crispy and burnt. The molding machine helps to ensure that the cookies are uniform in size and shape before baking. Here’s how shortbread is manufactured.
Walkers uses the same recipe from more than a century ago
With more than 200 products, the Walkers bakery has expanded its production to include custom-made tins and other products produced through licensing agreements. In the U.K., Walkers has partnerships with Disney and Weight Watchers, producing exclusive products such as Mickey Mouse shortbread. The company also produces limited-edition tins to celebrate special occasions, including the Royal Wedding.
It uses local ingredients
Shortbread is a traditional Scottish baked good. Its recipes consist of three basic ingredients: flour, sugar, and butter. Shortbread is made in three steps: mixing, forming, and cooling. It is a staple of the Scottish food culture and is enjoyed year round in many countries. A few companies manufacture shortbread exclusively in the U.S., which makes the product even more unique. Here’s how it’s made:
It uses real butter
Most shortbread recipes call for real butter and do not use vegetable shortening, which can result in a cookie with an unattractive texture and flavor. Shortbread cookies manufactured outside of Britain are not required to have 51% of its fat content come from butter. Shortbread recipes generally call for unsalted butter, or sweet butter. The most authentic shortbread recipes call for at least 51% of the total butter.
It uses shortening
A typical recipe for shortbread contains three parts flour, two parts butter, and one part sugar. Each individual dough piece is placed on a baking sheet and baked until golden brown. The dough is often left whole for the final product, but some bakers prefer to cut it into serving pieces as soon as it comes out of the oven. Shortbread is typically made with unsalted butter or sweet butter. Here are a few common shortbread recipes.
It uses real sugar
In the past, most recipes for shortbread called for confectioners’ sugar, granulated white sugar, or both. Today, all refined sugar is made from sugar cane or sugar beets. This sugar is extracted through a process called diffusion, where hot water binds with sugar crystals in a solution and draws them out of the sugarcane. The juice is then concentrated, dried, and cystallized out of the solution. Different types of sugar are created depending on the size of the sugar crystal. Granulated sugar is typically larger, while confectioners’ sugar has smaller crystals.
It has a crumbly texture
The crumbly texture of short bread is the result of the fat, which represses the protein strands in the dough. Shortbread is also known as “shortcrust bread,” since it has a high fat content. It is usually made with white flour, which is produced from wheat seeds. The endosperm is the part of the seed that contains starch and protein. When combined with sugar, it forms a crumbly texture that makes it easy to roll and stretch without breaking.
It is perfect for decorating
Decorative shortbread cookies are creating a buzz in retail bakeries. Shortbread is the perfect cookie to decorate and work for almost any occasion. These cookies are a classic staple for every bakery, and they are the perfect choice for a sweet holiday treat. Mary’s Cakes & Pastries has become a popular destination for decorated cookies, and they should be a standard on every bakery menu. Here are some tips for making great-looking decorated shortbread cookies.