I believe every cook should keep on hand. With parties galore, the holidays often coax the home baker into making seemingly endless batches of different kinds of cookies. This doesn't have to be the case with shortbread. One simple recipe lends itself to enhancements such as ginger, chocolate, and orange. Make a single batch and customize it to suit your needs.
Shortbread improves with age and can be stored for up to two weeks before serving.
Shortbread originated in Scotland as a mutation of a Yule cake called bannock, an ancient symbol of the sun. Today, Hogmanay, which coincides with New Year's Eve, is known as Cake Day in Scotland. Most often baked in eight-inch rounds, shortbread can be cut into wedges known as petticoat tails, a name derived from the shape of the undergarments worn by women during the time of the Norman Conquest of Britain. Some centuries later, Mary, Queen of Scots, was particularly fond of this rich treat. Heat oven to 275 degrees.