Friday Feast | Shortbread, Whisky, and the Return of Outlander

Welcome back to Friday Feast in the tavern! 'Tis a special day to celebrate! The second part of Season 7 of Outlander returns today! Yes, I'm a follower, my friends. I started reading the series back in the mid 1990's and then tuned in to the show ten years ago. Outlander premiered two months after my first book became published. Highlanders definitely ruled my world that year, even while I did book signings at the Scottish Games.

As I've stated before, I'm a cookbook collector. Outlander Cocktails is an early Christmas gift from my knight. We don't exchange gifts anymore, except for handmade cards and candy, but he knew I'd been gazing at this beauty for months. Not only is the book filled with recipes for cocktails, but it also shares some scrumptious appetizers to serve along with your drinks. And my favorite? A section on Scotch Whisky. In my humble opinion, a definite must have cookbook for any Outlander fan.

Enjoy my version of Whisky Shortbread or feel free to swap out the whisky for vanilla extract.

Sláinte mhath!

Whisky Shortbread

Ingredients: 

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon whiskey or vanilla extract

1 cup unsifted flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Cream the butter until it is light.

Mix in the powdered sugar and whisky (or vanilla extract).

Now mix in flour until just combined.

Place dough on board and knead until smooth.

Spray your shortbread pan (If you don’t have a ceramic shortbread pan, you can use a round can pan) with non-stick spray.

Firmly press the dough into your pan. Prick the entire surface with a fork, and bake the shortbread for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Let the shortbread cool in its pan for about 10 minutes.

Loosen the edges with a knife and flip the pan over onto a wooden cutting board. Cut the shortbread into serving pieces while it is still warm.