The old Scottish rule is one part sugar, two parts butter, three parts flour, by weight.
Easy. Hands on for about 20 minutes. About 90 minutes start to finish. Makes 16 fingers.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ sticks unsalted butter, soft
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar, to sprinkle on top
Steps
- Heat the oven. Line an 8 inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, with the paper hanging over two sides. (325°F (160°C))
- Beat the butter, sugar and salt together until creamy.
- Stir in the flour until it looks like crumbs. Then squeeze it together with your hands. Stop as soon as it holds. More mixing makes it tough.
- Press the dough evenly into the pan. Prick it all over with a fork. Chill it.
- Bake until the edges are pale gold. The top should stay light. (325°F (160°C))
- While it is still warm, cut it into 16 fingers and sprinkle with the sugar. Leave it in the pan to cool.
It keeps in a tin for about a week, and it is better on the second day.