Shortbread dips

"There are three traditional ways to serve shortbread – petticoat tails, rounds and fingers. These fingers dipped in chocolate still have the butteriness of traditional shortbread, with that extra indulgence given by the white and dark chocolate. The shortbread biscuit has been made in Scotland for hundreds of years. However, it is widely regarded that it came to prominence thanks to Mary, Queen of Scots. She fell in love with the shortbread served by her French chefs and, from then on, it became the iconic Scottish biscuit we all adore today. " – Coinneach Macleod

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C fan (340°F). Grease a 20cm (8”) square baking tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment.

2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy.

3. Add in both the flours plus the salt and stir until it begins to come together, though take care not to overwork the dough. Bring the dough together with your hands and press the mixture into the prepared tin. Flatten the surface of the shortbread with the back on a spoon and use a fork to prick marks along the length of the fingers.

4. Bake for 45 minutes until pale golden. Remove from the oven and, with a knife, mark lines where you are going to cut the shortbread. Leave to cool in the tin.

5. Melt the dark and white chocolate separately in heatproof bowls set over a pan of gently simmering water. Take each of your shortbread fingers and use a teaspoon to coat one third with the chocolate. Sprinkle pistachios or freeze-dried raspberries over the chocolate end and allow to set. Serve with a hot cuppa, or they will keep in an airtight container for up to four days.

Extracted with permission from The Hebridean Baker: My Scottish Island Kitchen by Coinneach Macleod, photography by Susie Lowe. Black and White Publishing.  

Find more biscuit recipes here.