SCOTLAND ... Any Scots on DC?

[archiduc]

Archiduc, thank you for the nice information. I make an awesome shortbread but not with rice flour, I use corn flour, butter, white flour and powdered sugar. I'll give yours a try-I need to find rice flour and castor sugar.
By the way, I loved haggis in Scotland. I'd like to make some here. ~Bliss

Hi Blissful,

I`m glad you appreciate the information.

Now, let`s get down to the basics or, in the UK we would call it "the brass tacks"!

Rice flour - you should be able to buy this as ground rice in a supermarket or rice flour in a specialist South East Asian or Indian store as "Rice Flour". It feels like very fine white sand when rubbed between the fingers.

Powdered sugar - or castor or caster sugar. In the UK, this is a white sugar which is finer than that which one would add to a cup of coffee/tea, but not as fine as one which might be used to make a buttercream icing for a birthday cake. In short, I suspect that powdered sugar in USA terms is the same as Caster sugar in UK terms!

Which flour to use in a shortbread? The flour should be white with no added raising agent.

Finally, which fat to use - no debate - it HAS to be butter.

Hope this helps,
Archiduc

 

[blissful]

Rice flour - you should be able to buy this as ground rice in a supermarket or rice flour in a specialist South East Asian or Indian store as "Rice Flour". It feels like very fine white sand when rubbed between the fingers.

Powdered sugar - or castor or caster sugar. In the UK, this is a white sugar which is finer than that which one would add to a cup of coffee/tea, but not as fine as one which might be used to make a buttercream icing for a birthday cake. In short, I suspect that powdered sugar in USA terms is the same as Caster sugar in UK terms!

Finally, which fat to use - no debate - it HAS to be butter.

Hmm, rice flour, I will have to look, my corn flour is more fine than fine white sand. I wonder if I could process white rice to get a texture like fine white sand.
The powdered sugar I use is fine, very fine, with starch to prevent caking. I use it for butter cream frosting. Again maybe processing regular sugar would be a happy medium.
And for the fat, no question BUTTER is the only thing that will make it a fine baked product. Or so my waistline and taste buds say so!
My shortbreads are so delicate they break if mishandled or jarred but they melt in my mouth and they crunch when chewed, oh so good. ~Bliss

 

[wisconsin girl]

I'm from the UK and castor sugar is definately not the same as powdered sugar. Castor sugar in the US is classed as fine or superfine sugar,powdered sugar in the UK is known as icing sugar.