I was wondering why petticoat tails shortbread is called that and why shortbread is particularly associated with Christmas, but I got sidetracked by Janet Murray’s comments and recipe in ‘Traditional Recipes from Scotland‘ a little book just bigger than a booklet published by or for BBC Scottish Home Service. It contains “a selection of ‘Morning Call’ recipes by Janet Murray, broadcast in the BBC Scottish Home Service on Wednesdays.” It actually does say ‘in the BBC’, not ‘on the BBC’ as we would say now.
Janet: I have been gloating over a book of recipes, a bound volume of a small weekly cookery journal, covering one year – the year 1896. I have found many interesting recipes in it, and I have had a few chuckles as well, for it covers all household duties and many interesting facts are given in it.
For instance, there is a short article on vanilla and the vanilla pod, explaining that the plant itself is a parasite – the sort of thing which would suit a quiz programme. We are told no maid should be allowed to wear heavy or creaking boots for waiting at table. It is correct to put four cruets on the table, one at each corner. Quite a good idea this; it would do away with, ‘Put down that paper and pass the salt.’
There is an idea for putting a finish to a pudding that would make hygiene experts shudder. It tells us to put ‘a good dusting of ground cinnamon on the top, brushing it evenly with a feather, then taking the bowl in both hands, blow away the cinnamon, leaving only a cinnamon shade.’
The word ‘put’ seems to be unknown – the instruction is to ‘toss’ or ‘throw’ into the pan. Sugar is pounded for baking purposes, and here is an idea which I do like – icing sugar to give a firm shortness to shortbread.
The recipe for petticoat tails says \icing sugar, and I have tried it and found it very good. There are indeed several recipes for petticoat tails and some of them have caraway seeds in them. It is the cutting, of course, that gives this cake its name. Here is the recipe
½lb butter; ¼lb sifted icing sugar; ¾lb plain white flour (or shortbread flour)
Put the butter in a baking bowl, add the sifted icing sugar, and beat this to a cream. When it is white and creamy, work in the plain flour, or shortbread flour, sifted at least twice. It may take just a little more flour,, but you must use your own judgement about this. Knead the paste well and roll it out on a lightly floured board, keeping it in the round.
Dab all over the cake with a fork, then push round the edges with a finger and thumb.
Now take a really big cutter and cut out the centre of the cake, leaving a short fringe. A bowl will do if you have not got a big cutter. Cut the fringe into tails – twelve of them. Put the centre on a baking sheet, arrange teh tails in position round it, and leave for 1 hour to firm up. Dust lightly with castor sugar and bake the shortbread in a moderate oven until it its a pale golden brown.
Janet doesn’t give any explanation about why they are called petticoat tails – maybe they looked like the shape of a petticoat, or maybe as they were associated with Mary Queen of Scots, the French ‘petits gâteaux’ or ‘petites gatelles’ version became anglicised! Who will ever know!
I have no images featuring shortbread, petticoats or tails, so my picture is of a magnolia.
Lois Elsden 