Makes approximately 30 biscuits. Just as well as they never last very long around here.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. unsalted butter
1 lb. plain flour
12 oz. icing sugar
8 oz. cornflour
METHOD:
1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together until soft but not too soft.
2. Add the flours and beat together for 2-3 minutes.
3. Knead together and roll out thickness required. Cut out using heart shaped cutter, prick with a fork and bake for 12-15 minutes. Do not let allow to brown; the shortbread should be white in colour.
4. Remove from oven and dust with caster sugar. Remove from the tray after 2 minutes and cool on a wire rack.
TOP TIP: Shortbread benefits from cold hands and shouldn’t be handled too much. Otherwise the dough becomes too sticky.
Tuesday 15 March 2011
March at Glamis
March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. I look forward to the lamb bit, the lion is certainly roaring around at the moment. A week ago I would have said that spring was here but the weather has turned cold once more and we have had a flurry or two of snow.
Luckily it doesn’t lie on the ground but any thought I had of turning off my central heating is put on hold for the present. I am told not to expect to turn the heating off till the end of April so at least I look forward to that.
So here it is, March at last, and despite the cold weather, we are moving towards our seasonal opening on the 2nd April. The staff welcome day takes place on March 25th, the day that the seasonal staff return to be updated with events and occurrences over the last couple of months. I have been lucky enough to be here over the winter but the majority of staff don’t work here during the closed season.
We welcome all new members of staff; guides and otherwise who are joining us for what looks to be a very busy 2011. The 1st of April is of course our annual Friends of Glamis Open Day when we welcome Friends past, present and future to enjoy the castle, its facilities and an annual presentation. For 2011 we have Charles Maclean, Scotland’s leading whisky expert, who researches and writes books on a subject which forms a very large part of Scottish heritage. It promises to be entertaining whether or not you are a fan of the subject. The Friends of Glamis also gives people an opportunity to renew their annual membership or to become a new Friend of Glamis.
It is also an opportunity for everyone to meet our new castle administrator, David Broadfoot. He joined us from Cawdor Castle at the end of February to take up the reins. He is a personable man of many ideas and quick decisions. I am sure that all of us here at Glamis will benefit from his enthusiasm this season.
Finally, as an extra to the blog, I offer a monthly recipe; all of them compiled by our baker and pastry chef Wendy and offered in our restaurant. As winter still has us in its vice like grip, the March recipe is for Wendy’s famous shortbread. It is a super recipe and very simple as most of the best recipes are. As with all great recipe books, I include a photograph taken in our 16c kitchen. Wendy’s shortbread deserves the best of settings and the 16c kitchen was just perfect. I speak from experience when I say that it is exceptionally tasty with elevens’es, threes’es – well any time really. You won’t need much of an excuse.
Luckily it doesn’t lie on the ground but any thought I had of turning off my central heating is put on hold for the present. I am told not to expect to turn the heating off till the end of April so at least I look forward to that.
So here it is, March at last, and despite the cold weather, we are moving towards our seasonal opening on the 2nd April. The staff welcome day takes place on March 25th, the day that the seasonal staff return to be updated with events and occurrences over the last couple of months. I have been lucky enough to be here over the winter but the majority of staff don’t work here during the closed season.
We welcome all new members of staff; guides and otherwise who are joining us for what looks to be a very busy 2011. The 1st of April is of course our annual Friends of Glamis Open Day when we welcome Friends past, present and future to enjoy the castle, its facilities and an annual presentation. For 2011 we have Charles Maclean, Scotland’s leading whisky expert, who researches and writes books on a subject which forms a very large part of Scottish heritage. It promises to be entertaining whether or not you are a fan of the subject. The Friends of Glamis also gives people an opportunity to renew their annual membership or to become a new Friend of Glamis.
It is also an opportunity for everyone to meet our new castle administrator, David Broadfoot. He joined us from Cawdor Castle at the end of February to take up the reins. He is a personable man of many ideas and quick decisions. I am sure that all of us here at Glamis will benefit from his enthusiasm this season.
Finally, as an extra to the blog, I offer a monthly recipe; all of them compiled by our baker and pastry chef Wendy and offered in our restaurant. As winter still has us in its vice like grip, the March recipe is for Wendy’s famous shortbread. It is a super recipe and very simple as most of the best recipes are. As with all great recipe books, I include a photograph taken in our 16c kitchen. Wendy’s shortbread deserves the best of settings and the 16c kitchen was just perfect. I speak from experience when I say that it is exceptionally tasty with elevens’es, threes’es – well any time really. You won’t need much of an excuse.
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