These recipes are from Scottish Shortbread, 25 favourite recipes, by Mary Macdonald. I've tried her Ginger Shortbread when having a 2-hour cooking class with 6-year-olds at my son's school. Very good.

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.

Sift the flour with the salt into a bowl. Mix in the caraway seeds and the sugar. Melt the butter in the milk but do not overheat. Mix it into the flour and knead lightly. Roll out on a floured board into a round just over 1/2 cm/1/4 in thick.

Invert a dinner plate on top and cut around with a sharp knife. Using the forefinger of one hand and the forefinger and thumb of the other hand, pinch a fluted edge all round. Cut out a round in the centre of the cake with a tumbler and cut the surrounding circle into 8 wedged to make the 'petticoat tails'.

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and place the biscuits on top. Bake for about 20 min or until crisp and golden.

<griffi@zoo. Co. Uk> on Feb 23, 97.