Scottish Shortbread Fingers #Recipe by @LibbyKlein

Libby Klein My grandmother was Scottish and Irish. She had red hair and a feisty temperament bound to deliver snappy zingers. If you've read my Poppy McAllister series you know her as Aunt Ginny. One year I took a trip to the motherland - Scotland and Ireland - to see where I come from. The people were so kind and generous, it's one of my favourite trips ever. <-- See the British "U" in favourite there. I was also amazed at the family resemblance all around me. Looking at the ahem little round Scottish ladies was like looking into a mirror. This answered so many questions I'd had my whole life. You may have noticed the discreet nod to Doctor Who. Are you a fan? Let me know in the comments what your favourite Doctor number is. Mine is 10.

If you love those Scottish shortbread rounds in the plaid printed boxes, you'll be thrilled with my gluten-free version. The secret is really good butter. On the food opera stage, butter is the grand diva. She takes center stage for her aria, so you want her to be rich and full-bodied. I like a good European butter for this act. If you find your shortbread to be a little soft after cooling, you can always toast them in the oven for 5 minutes until they are a little darker brown and crispy after they cool.

Disclaimer - Read all your labels to make sure your ingredients are gluten-free. Gluten can be sneaky.

Gluten-Free Scottish Shortbread

Makes about 3 dozen fingers

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 

1 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean

3 cups gluten free flour

½ teaspoon salt

 

 

 Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Split your vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the gooey inside. 

  

Add it to the butter. Add the gluten-free flour and salt. Mix well. The dough will begin to come together somewhat crumbly, but it should very easily clump together if you gather it with your hand.

Roll the dough on either parchment paper or a lightly floured work surface until it is about ¼-inch thick. Decide what shape you’d like the shortbread in. If you’d like it to be a round, shape it into a circle by hand. If you’d like it to bake in a pan, press it into a greased or parchment-lined pan. 

Or, cut the rolled dough into shapes using a lightly floured cutter. I rolled and pressed mine in an 8x10 sheet pan. Score the dough if it will be sliced after baking, and lightly prick all over with the tines of a fork.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until the sides and bottoms are lightly browned but the top is just set. Let cool on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely and separate into your shapes if necessary. I like to serve it with melted dipping chocolate.

 Poppy McAllister discovers that gluten-free Halloweens can scare up another case of murder in the latest installment of this delightful culinary B&B mystery series!

Poppy is none too pleased when her B&B is coerced into participating in the Cape May Haunted Dinners Tour during Halloween season. Though her knack for finding dead bodies has given the place a spooky reputation, the Murder House is a completely undeserved nickname. At least it used to be . . .
 
While Poppy wrangles with some guests who can’t stop squabbling with each other—including a paranormal researcher, a very quirky pet psychic who freaks out her portly Persian, and an undercover tabloid reporter eager to catch her staff in a lie—one of them winds up facedown in a plate of tiramisu. And now she has bigger worries than getting her house TP’d . . .
 
Includes Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!
 
“A cast of wacky characters, plenty of humor, and the antiques and B&B frame provide the appeal.” —Booklist on Antique Auctions are Murder

Libby Klein grew up in Cape May, NJ where she attended high school in the '80s. Her

classes revolved mostly around the Culinary sciences and Drama, with one brilliant semester in Poly-Sci that may have been an accident. She loves to drink coffee, bake gluten-free goodies, collect fluffy cats, and translate sarcasm for people who are too serious. She writes from her Northern Virginia office where she serves a very naughty black smoke Persian named Sir Figaro Newton. You can keep up with her shenanigans by signing up for her Mischief and Mayhem Newsletter on her website. www.LibbyKleinBooks.com/Newsletter/