Butter, flour, sugar, salt. It’s like the guitar, bass, drums of cookies. Shortbread tells you to leave the keyboard out of it. Because of its starkness, some people find shortbread abrasive and off-putting. It’s a serious cookie, eaten slowly between sips of a hot beverage. I wouldn’t bring a plate of these to family reunion picnic—face it, you’re the black sheep anyway, so why make it any harder on yourself?
I tried a seemingly popular shortbread recipe on VegWeb and it didn’t come out like shortbread at all, sorta puffy and sans, how you say, flavor? But Destiny’s Vegan Kitchen’s recipe worked marvelously. It’s called Smel’s Shortbread in honor of her sister (nickname), which reminded me of a gross sandwich I thought up: smelt melt. I’ve never had a tuna melt or smelt, but this just sounds like the most disgusting thing ever. Sorry, DVK’s sister.
Three little children lyin’ in bed
Two of them sick and the other most dead
Called for the doctor, the doctor said
“Feed them children some shortnin’ bread
Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin’, shortnin’
Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin’ bread
Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin’, shortnin’
Mammy’s little baby loves shortnin’ bread
When them children lying in the bed
Heard that talk about shortnin’ bread
Thay all got up and began to shout
Laughin’ and a-singin’ and a-dancin’ about
Put on the skillet, put on the lid
Mammy’s gonna make a little shortnin’ bread
Then after that, there’s a treat for you
Mammy’s gonna make a little coffee too
The thing is, anyone who doesn’t know you cannot picture you singing this. I, however, can. And it is delightful.
thanks Kevin – I hwill probably be singing this song all day to myself.
i’d love to hear daniel johnston covering it.
that’s crispin hellion glover creepy.