Christmas Countdown 11 : Shortbread

Mary, Queen of Scots loved shortbread petticoat tails -from www.julescatering.com

I know you are all too familiar with the tartan decorated packets and boxes of shortbread which seem to multiply to take over the biscuit and cookie displays at this time of the year. This crumbly, buttery biscuit was once so expensive, and considered such a luxury that it was only seen at Christmas and Hogmanay ( Scottish New Year) . Shortbread originated in Scotland, but it is no less popular in the rest of the United Kingdom and the rest of the world with British connections. I first learnt to bake shortbread because my late father-in- law, from Birmingham, UK, loved rich , buttery homemade shortbread at Christmas, and at any other time with a strong cup of tea. ( His favourite commercially made treat was a Scotch Finger - a shortbread biscuit which can be broken into two finger and is still one of the most popular of Arnott's Biscuits classics)

1. fingers

2. small rounds

3. petticoat tails

There are three traditional shapes of shortbread - 1) finger /small rectangle; 2) small round : 3) large around segmented into triangular, wedge shapes, called petticoat tails. it is thought these were names named after the French biscuits, "petits cotes", triangular biscuits eaten with wine . However, there is another story far more regal ...Queen Mary’s favourite shortbread was cut into triangular “Petticoat Tails,” so named because the triangle wedges cut from the circle of dough were the same shape as the pieces of fabric used to make an Elizabethan petticoat, and the name for a pattern back then was ‘tally.’ Queen Mary’s preferred ‘petticote tallis‘ was flavoured with caraway seeds
While I have noticed an amazing array of recipes for variations of the classic shortbread, for example, chocolate, caramel, macadamia, cranberry, honey and cinnamon, traditional Scottish shortbread remains the most well known. Walkers Shortbread is Scotland's largest food exporter.

A good shortbread needs to have a crumbly texture and is traditionally made from one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour . I think a really good shortbread needs the inclusion of one part rice flour or corn flour in its three parts flour, but that is my preference to achieve the "short" texture. I also like my shortbread patterned with a fork before baking and sprinkled with caster sugar when still hot from the oven - another personal preference because it just looks home-made I also own a type of wooden "springerie" mould with a pattern of a Scottish thistle which is pressed onto the rolled shortbread dough and creates a lovely decorative surface. These moulds are most commonly patterned with thistles - what could be more Scottish ?

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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