This Burns Night look a little different from past celebrations. While you may not be toasting the haggis with a dram of whisky with your loved ones (unless it's via Zoom), there's plenty of ways you can pay tribute to one of Scotland's most famous poets, Robert Burns.
DISCOVER: Lisa Faulkner and John Torode's no-yeast soda bread is the perfect easy bake
We've decided to focus on the sweeter side of things with a traditional Scottish dessert - enter these delicious, melt in the mouth shortbread biscuit recipes you can try baking at home. From chocolate and orange to salted caramel or even cherry and hazelnut, these unexpected, fruity combinations are sure to impress.
The name 'shortbread' comes from the medieval term "biscuit bread", when leftover dough from bread-making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened into a type of rusk, and the word "biscuit" itself actually means "twice cooked".
Celebrate Burns Night with these shortbread recipes
The yeast in the bread was gradually replaced by butter and biscuit bread developed into shortbread, now known as a classic Scottish dessert.
MORE RECIPES: Banana bread overnight oats! The new lockdown food trend heading your way
The signature crumbling texture and buttery lightness that differentiates shortbread from other biscuits is in the quantity of its three main ingredients: butter, sugar and flour. So make sure you follow the recipes precisely!
Burns Night takes place on January 25
Try out these rich, crumbly and scrumptious shortbread biscuit recipes:
Cherry and hazelnut shortbread
Salted caramel shortbread
Chocolate dipped orange shortbread biscuits
These unexpected flavour combinations are sure to impress
Top tip - chill the dough before baking, and use real, unsalted butter that has been slightly softened. The fat in the butter also adds to the rich, crumbly texture.
Tip number two - go smaller in size. Shortbread will double in height in the oven, and smaller biscuits will mean they are less likely to break or crumble when you eat them.
And finally, bake your shortbread in the top third of your oven. This way you won't get too much bottom heat that will cause the bottom of the shortbread to overcook before the top is done.
TRY THIS: 9 romantic meal kits for a cosy lockdown Valentine's Day dinner
Like this recipe? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
