Sandy Biscuits Guide

Shortbread biscuits are delicious, crumbly and flavourful. They are easy to make – one of the great advantages of these biscuits.

The name ‘shortbread’ comes from its crumbly texture and its brittleness. They are not hard and are said to “melt in your mouth”. The French word ‘sable’ means ‘sandy’, which accurately describes the structure of the biscuit.

There are many variations on how to bake this type of biscuit. Honey, poppy seeds and all kinds of jams go well with them. This all allows you to experiment with the ingredients to suit your preferences.

Sandy biscuits make a great addition to breakfast or as a dessert for lunch or dinner. Serve it with milk, tea or coffee.

History

Shortbread biscuits originated in Scotland. The first printed recipe – made in 1736 by a Scottish Mrs McLintock.

It is one of the oldest types of pastry. It was made as early as the 17th century in the East. A hundred years later, it was introduced to Europe.

They became a popular and much-loved pastry not only in the homes of street vendors, but also on the tables of wealthy townsfolk and even at lavish royal receptions. Empress Catherine the Great loved these biscuits. Every morning she would start with a basket of sweet biscuits and a strong cup of coffee.

It was mass-produced when the cost of fats, sugar and eggs became affordable to all.

These days, everyone can afford shortbread biscuits. You can buy them in pastry shops, or you can bake them yourself. If you make your own biscuits, you can be assured of exceptional quality.

Calorie

There are 407 kcal per 100 g of the product.

Protein: 7.4 g.

Fats: 9.4 g.

Carbohydrates: 73.1 г.

Simple shortbread biscuits differ from other baked goods not only in their delicate flavour and pleasant crumbliness, but also in their high calorie content. The high calorie count depends directly on the composition of the biscuit. They are based on eggs, sugar and fat.

Useful Properties

● Controls energy metabolism in the body – it is a source of fast energy due to its simple carbohydrate content.

● Quickly satiates.

Improves the nervous system and brain function – thanks to the high levels of B vitamins in these biscuits.

● Shortbread biscuits contain vitamins from groups PP, E, A, D and H, substances such as copper and potassium, manganese, magnesium, iron, chromium, sulphur, iodine, zinc, chlorine, calcium and potassium, fluorine and cobalt, sodium and phosphorous, etc.

Harms and Contraindications

High calorie content. If eaten in large quantities, they can cause weight gain and exacerbate existing chronic diseases. Due to the high sugar content, shortbread biscuits can disrupt your metabolism – which can lead to diabetes and other serious illnesses.

Standard Shortbread Cookie Recipe

The standard recipe for shortbread biscuits is to make them without eggs. Instead, add plenty of butter to the dough for a crumbly texture.

The dough is easy to roll out as thin as possible. Adding more icing sugar and fat will make the dough crumbly. If you reduce the quantity of ingredients, the biscuits will be denser.

Ingredients:

● butter;

● sugar;

● wheat flour;

● vanilla sugar;

● salt.

 Flour – should be low in protein (less likely to form gluten). With this flour the dough will have a more delicate and brittle texture. This is a normal high-protein flour. You can substitute 30% of the weight of the flour required in the recipe with corn, rice, rye, buckwheat or whole wheat flour, ground nuts or cocoa. Such a substitution will make the dough more crumbly and make it more complex in taste.

Butter – use a fat content of at least 82%. The butter content of the dough is quite high. It is its flavour that determines the taste of the finished biscuit.

Fats play two important roles in making shortbread dough. They soften the dough, make it more delicate and form a flaky dough in the already cooked version. The butter must be well chilled. If it is too warm it will start to melt and absorb the flour. If it is too frozen, it will be difficult to mix.

The ratio of flour to oil varies in recipes. It usually ranges from 1:1 (equal weight of flour and oil) or 2:1 (twice as much flour as oil). The higher the oil content, the more crumbly and delicate the dough will be.

Sugar. The amount of sugar in crumbly pastry is adjusted according to the purpose of the pastry and its combination with the filling. Excessive sugar makes the dough too crumbly and stiff. Sugar helps to create a tender crust. It caramelises during the baking process and adds a beautiful golden colour to the baked goods. Dark or light cane sugar gives the dough not only its sweetness but also its molasses flavour. Preferably use sugar with fine crystals. Often icing sugar is used instead of sugar. The dough is more delicate and dense with powdered sugar.

Liquid – use as much liquid as is necessary and sufficient to bring the dough together in one piece.

The liquids are water, eggs (whole egg, egg whites or yolk), milk and virtually all dairy products: cream, buttermilk, sour cream, etc. In classic recipes the main liquid is water – it adds no extra flavour to the dough. The egg yolk is mostly fat and the protein is mostly water. The more fatty the liquid, the more flavourful the dough will be. A dough made with water is denser and easier to taste than one made with egg yolk and milk. Milk will add some flavour and make the dough a ruder colour.  Juices (especially sour ones) will break down the gluten, but the colour of the baked goods will be paler.

Add the liquid gradually and mix quickly. If the dough is too sticky, there is too much moisture in it. Such a dough will be difficult to roll out on a work surface – it will shrink when baked. A dough that is too dry will be difficult to roll out – it will crack and fall apart.

As long as the flour and liquid have not combined in the dough, you can stir, knead and beat it. Once the liquid has been added, stop kneading as soon as possible, otherwise the dough will become stiff.

Cream dough. It is the most delicate dough you can make thanks to the almost total absence of water and the presence of fat. It retains its shape well when rolled out.

Sour cream dough. This dough has a light texture and a buttery flavour. The acid in the sour cream softens the gluten, making the dough less elastic and more crumbly. It does not shrink too much when baked. To make this dough, replace the water with an equal amount of sour cream.

Yoghurt dough. Light, crumbly, tender and with a hint of yoghurt.

Salt – needed as a flavour connector. Use fine salt.

The process

1. Beat the butter until it is the consistency of sour cream.
2. Add all the ingredients to it one at a time.
3. Mix everything thoroughly and knead the dough.
4. Shape it into a ball and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough into a cylinder shape with a diameter of 5 cm.
6. Sprinkle a little sugar on and roll the resulting dough cylinder in it.
7. Cut it into small circles (no more than 2 cm) and bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F).
8. Bake the shortbread biscuits for about 20-25 minutes.
9. The finished biscuits should turn a dark golden colour.

Types

Types of shortbread biscuits vary in their recipes, preparation method and sugar and fat content.

You can add poppy seeds or sultanas to the dough for extra flavour and zest. Add nuts, dried fruit and chocolate and cocoa powder to the shortbread biscuit dough to create different flavours. Salt and cheese can also be added. Biscuits can be garnished or simply sprinkled with sugar, nuts or cinnamon.

You can make shortbread biscuits with jam. The dough is made using the standard recipe. Only make a small indentation in each biscuit and add a little jam to it before it is sent to the oven. Bake until golden. The biscuits will not only be delicious but also attractive.

Biscuits can be used as a stand-alone pastry or as the main ingredient for a variety of desserts and sweet dishes.

Two types of dough are used for shortbread biscuits:

1.sand and ditching,

2.sand and sedimentation.

A more popular shortbread biscuit. The dough has a sour cream-like consistency. These biscuits have a pliable texture and contain less sugar.

For shortbread biscuits, on the other hand, the dough is stiff and pliable. The characteristics and composition are similar to sugar biscuit dough. This type of biscuit is very fatty and sweet.

The main species that vary in composition:

• pate brisee – sugar-free.
• sucre (sucree) is sweet, even very sweet and greasy. The dough is very fragile to work with due to the large amount of sugar.
• the sable is the medium sweetest, most classic shortbread dough.

Varieties:

● Sandy,

● Kurabier,

● Asterisk.

Storing Sandy Biscuits

The shelf life of shortbread biscuits is quite long. It is important to keep them in a sealed tin or glass container with a lid, or you can wrap them in parchment paper or put them in a plastic container.

The shelf life depends on the percentage of fat in the product. The higher the fat content, the lower the shelf life of the product.

The optimum temperature in the storage area of the biscuits should not exceed 20 °C (68 °F) and the humidity should not exceed 70%.

Keeping the biscuits in the refrigerator is not recommended. The temperature in the refrigerator is too low and the biscuits may get stale.

To extend the shelf life of the biscuits, you can put them in the freezer. Store in the freezer for a maximum of 2 months.

The shortbread biscuits keep at room temperature:

• with a fat content of no more than 10% – 45 days;
• with a fat content of 10-20% – 30 days;
• if the fat is more than 20%, up to 15 days.

If the biscuits have an unpleasant odour, change in appearance, taste, mould and expiry date, they are no longer fit for consumption.

Recipe Ideas

1. Jamie Oliver’s best shortbread cookie

The simplest baked goods, from the most common and accessible ingredients. But how delicious, delicate and the sandiest. The biscuits are light and nutritious at the same time.

2. Lemon biscuits

This is a deliciously sour and crunchy shortbread biscuit with lemon. They are fragrant and not sugary sweet. You add fresh lemon zest to the dough and the filling is a juicy lemon curd.

3. Butter (shortbread) biscuits with chocolate filling

The perfect and most versatile recipe for crumbly, tender biscuits. They are crispy and just melt in your mouth. The dough is malleable, so you can shape them in any way you like and they’ll stay that way after baking.

4. Sandy biscuits with hazelnut meringue and cherry “Owl Eyes”

An interesting looking and very tasty biscuit. The nutty flavour of the meringue is complemented by the cherry flavour. The light, sour-sweet taste of these biscuits is sure to please you and your guests. Quick to make, they are a frequent treat for tea or coffee.

5. Soft biscuits with figs and star anise

You only need a few minutes to make these biscuits. They are delicate and delicious, flavoured with dried figs and ground star anise. They are especially delicious with a cup of hot chocolate. The spices go very well with the flavour of chocolate, you can cover the biscuits with melted chocolate.

6. Biscuits with vegetable oil

Delicious and simple biscuits. Margarine is often used instead of butter to make shortbread biscuits – but margarine is unhealthy, so you can replace it with vegetable oil. The biscuits are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside when warm, and become evenly crispy and very crumbly when cooled.

7. Zemelach, a very fragile Jewish shortbread biscuit

Jewish shortbread biscuits are very crunchy and have a delicate, crispy brown crust. They are thin, delicate and incredibly fragrant. Make these biscuits as a favourite with tea or coffee.

8. Cinnamon biscuits

Pretty, quick-to-make cinnamon-sugar biscuits.  They are easy to make from the ingredients available. They are crumbly and, thanks to the cinnamon, very fragrant. You can substitute the filling for the cinnamon and cocoa for a rich chocolate flavour. Or put poppy seeds in the biscuits.

9. Pine cone biscuits

The original biscuit shapes are decorated with nut paste. These are a real treat if you like soft shortbread biscuits, butter biscuits and dried fruit. You can add a little rum or liqueur to the dough to add flavour and softness to the biscuits.

10. Chocolate cheap biscuits with peanut butter

A richly flavoured chocolate biscuit with a peanut butter filling. The honey softens the peanut butter due to its texture and gives a great flavour to the filling. Very nutritious, hearty and delicious biscuits.

11. Salt and chocolate chip biscuits

The tangy taste of these biscuits will captivate you. They are crumbly, the chocolate chips add sweetness and the grains of salt add a touch of flavour. You can make these biscuits in no time at all.

12. Unbaked cupcakes in a hurry

In this recipe, shortbread is one of the ingredients. You can bake them yourself or buy them from the shop. This is a great option for a quick sweet recipe with a minimum of ingredients.

13. Light ginger biscuits

Delicious Swedish gingerbread biscuits. They are soft and crumbly on the inside but crunchy on the outside. They have a warm, spicy taste.  They are flavoured with fresh ginger, cinnamon and molasses.

14. Amaretti soft biscuits

Italian almond-flavoured almond biscuits. Its texture can be soft and sandy or crunchy. Use bitter almonds for an extraordinary flavour. The perfectly smooth texture and beautiful cracks on the surface decorate the biscuits.

15. Royal quiche with cottage cheese

The cottage cheese patty is fragrant and delicate. The shortcrust pastry goes well with the cottage cheese and makes the finished dish airy. It makes a delicious snack or an accompaniment to a tea party.

16. Sand squares with jam

A very easy-to-make biscuit. They are called Viennese biscuits and are also known as griddle cakes. There are many different toppings – they can be jam, jam or grated berries. These biscuits will be your favourite dessert.

17. Mexican chocolate shortbread biscuits

Bakes easily and is not too sweet. Biscuits with almonds and a slight hint of spice. The chocolate flavour blends beautifully with the aromatic cinnamon and nutty flavour.