July 5th, Scotch Shortbread 1900’s through the 30’s
Scotch Shortbread
From Pittsburgh Pennsylvania from the 1900’s through the 30’s, a cook book owned by Myrtle A. Byrd. A newspaper cut out for Scotch Shortbread. This is in comparison to the post for Grandma McLeod’s Scotch Bread (from the 19th of June), during the same time period.
Grandma McLeod Scotch Bread recipe is here;
https://kitchenrecipetreasures.com/2021/06/19/grandma-mcleods-scotch-bread-1908-recipe/
One cup shortening, one-half cup sugar, two cups flour. Cream the shortening; add sugar gradually, creaming until the mixture is well blended. Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Pat into a slightly greased cake tin. Bake in a moderate oven (385 degrees) for about twenty minutes. The shortbread should be very delicate and brown. While still hot, cut into small pieces about one and one-half inches square. Shortbread may be lightly brushed with egg white and garnished with tiny candies or with candied cherries to make the cake assortments more colorful. You will have about 36 one and one-half-inch squares.
This is another newspaper clipping from the same book;
Genuine Scotch Shortbread
4 ounces butter
4 ounces lard
8 ounces flour
4 ounces rice flour
4 ounces confectioner’s sugar
Small pinch of salt, (omit when all butter is used instead of half lard)
Work butter and lard into sugar with hands. Work in other ingredients gradually. Bake in shallow tins lined with wax paper in a moderate oven for 1 hour.
Mrs. A. Douglas MacPherson, 6340 Monitor street.
And this is a reference to oven temperatures in this book; which is nice to have available for these recipes that only say such as; Moderate oven, and so forth.
There are no baking temperatures listed in these recipes; during this time, it was assumed you would know how to put together a recipe without directions and what temperature to cook or bake them at. You gauged your oven temps through experience of working in the kitchen next to your mother and other relatives throughout your childhood and youth. You learned methods, techniques and timing so you never needed to have it written down in the cook books or diaries passed through each generation of the family.
Oven temperatures are seldom given in the old books and recipes; most times the only say something like a slow oven or quick oven. These are the equlivent to today’s oven temperatures;
A very slow oven equals 250 to 275 degrees.
A slow oven equals 300 to 325 degrees.
A moderate oven equals 350 to 375 degrees.
A hot or quick oven equals 375 to 400 degrees.
A very hot oven equals 400 to 450 degrees.
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