Petticoat tails shortbread recipe

This petticoat tails shortbread recipe comes from my Gran on my Dad’s side of the family. It has been passed down through generations and is one of the most treasured recipes we have. Petticoat tails are a traditional Scottish shortbread baked in a pie plate and cut into wedge-shaped pieces. They are simple, buttery, and completely worth the effort.

This recipe makes two large shortbreads, which makes it perfect for the holiday season. Keep one for your family and wrap the other up as a gift. It travels well on a plate and feels genuinely special to receive.

What you need

Ingredients

This recipe uses just three main ingredients. You need 2 and 1/4 cups of all-purpose unbleached flour, 1 cup of salted butter at room temperature, and 1 cup of golden light brown sugar, well packed. We use Rogers Golden Yellow Sugar. Whole or slivered blanched almonds are optional for decoration on top. Some people also like to dust the finished shortbread with powdered sugar, though we do not use it in our version.

Equipment

You do not need any fancy tools for this recipe. A glass mixing bowl, a wooden mixing spoon, two metal pie plates, a knife, and a fork are all you need. The one thing you cannot skip is patience. This shortbread rewards you for taking your time.

How to make petticoat tails shortbread

Yield: 2 large shortbreads (16 large wedges or 32 small wedges)

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Preheat your oven to 325°F. If your oven runs hot, set it to 320°F. A low, steady temperature is important for this shortbread.

Start by creaming the room temperature butter with a wooden spoon. Work it until it turns pale, smooth, and almost fluffy. This takes at least five minutes by hand. Do not rush this step. The texture of the butter at this stage affects the whole cookie.

Add the packed brown sugar to the creamed butter. Mix them together with the wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This will take another five minutes or more. Keep going until you cannot feel any graininess from the sugar.

Add the flour in half-cup increments. Start with two cups total, adding half a cup at a time and mixing each addition fully before adding the next. After two cups are in, check the dough. If it still looks too soft or sticky, add up to the remaining quarter cup. Scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.

Knead the dough inside the bowl until it comes together into a ball. Then turn it out onto the counter and keep kneading. You are waiting for the dough to “snap.” This means it pulls apart cleanly into two halves. It may even make a small suction sound as it separates. This takes real kneading. Do not stop before you reach this point. You cannot over-knead this dough.

Place each half of the dough into a metal pie plate. Press and flatten each piece slowly until it fills the plate in an even, smooth layer. This step also takes time. Be patient with it.

Use a knife to cut the dough all the way through into wedges, like slicing a pie. Cutting into 8 pieces is more traditional. Cutting into 16 pieces gives you smaller, prettier wedges. Either way works well.

Take a fork and press it straight down through the shortbread all over the surface. These holes help prevent bubbling during baking and create a classic decorative pattern. You can also press the flat edge of the fork tines along the outer rim of the shortbread to create a frilled border, which is a traditional finishing touch for petticoat tails.

If you are using almonds, press one onto each wedge now. If you want to add powdered sugar, dust it on at this point.

Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes. Watch for the dough to puff up evenly as it bakes. It will settle slightly as it finishes. The shortbread should smell sweet and turn a light golden brown. Do not let it get dark.

As soon as it comes out of the oven, re-slice along the same lines. The shortbread firms up as it cools, so cutting while it is still warm makes cleaner pieces. Let it cool completely before serving.

Serving petticoat tails

Petticoat tails are best served with tea or coffee. They are a traditional treat for Christmas and Hogmanay, which is the Scottish New Year’s Eve celebration. I make them throughout winter and enjoy them any time I want something simple and satisfying.

Because this recipe makes two shortbreads, it is a natural choice for gifting. Wrap one on a pretty plate with some ribbon and you have a genuinely thoughtful homemade gift. If you want to take it further, a few wedges tucked into a hot chocolate gift basket would make a lovely combination.

The story behind this recipe

My Aunt Maggie learned this recipe from our Gran when she was a teenager. She has made it every Christmas since, and she passed it down to our generation. Both of my grandparents have Scottish heritage, so shortbread has always been part of our holiday traditions. Gran was a Walker, and while I have no idea whether she was related to the famous Walker’s shortbread family, her recipe is just as good.

This is not the kind of recipe you make in a hurry. It is the kind you make on a slow holiday afternoon with the family nearby and something good playing in the background. My Aunt Maggie always made it by hand with a wooden spoon. You can use an electric mixer if you prefer, but there is something about doing it the old way that feels right with a recipe like this.

Making this shortbread is one of the ways we remember Gran. Simple recipes like this one carry a lot of meaning, especially when they have been made in the same way for decades.

Other recipes to try

If you enjoyed this shortbread, a few other recipes on the site are worth trying. The gluten-free muffin recipe is a good option for anyone baking for a mixed crowd. The pumpkin seed granola recipe is another favorite for fall and winter baking. And if you are looking for more holiday ideas beyond the kitchen, there is plenty of inspiration to browse through as well.