Shortbread is a hard, sweet biscuit made with a lot of butter, plus flour and sugar. It is not a loaf, even though bread sits in the name, and it is not a soft cookie. You bite it and it snaps into sandy pieces.

Shortbreadshortbread is a hard, sweet biscuit是一種硬質甜餅乾 made with a lot of butter用大量奶油做成, plus flour and sugar加上麵粉和糖。It它 is not a loaf不是一條吐司, even though雖然 bread sits in the name名字裡有bread這個字, and它也 it is not a soft cookie不是軟的餅乾。You你 bite it咬下去 and它會 it snaps into sandy pieces碎成一片片沙沙的小塊

That snap is the point: in old kitchen English, short pastry is pastry so full of fat that it breaks easily — short here does not mean “not tall.” It is a Scottish thing at heart, and tins of it still turn up at New Year and Christmas. The taste is almost only butter, so bakers treat it as simple and strict.

That snap那種碎裂感 is the point正是重點: in old kitchen English在老式的廚房英文裡, short pastryshort pastry is pastry指的是麵團 so full of fat油脂多到 that it breaks easily很容易碎裂 — short hereshort在這裡 does not mean不是指 “not tall.”「不高」。It它 is a Scottish thing at heart這其實是道地的蘇格蘭東西, and新年和聖誕節時 tins of it一罐一罐的shortbread still turn up at New Year and Christmas至今仍然常見。The taste味道 is almost only butter幾乎只有奶油味, so所以 bakers師傅們 treat it as simple and strict把它當作一件簡單又講究的事來對待

Shops sell it plain, with sugar on top, or with a little jam. People say a piece of shortbread or a shortbread biscuit; they do not say a bread.

Shops店家 sell it plain會賣原味的, with sugar on top上面灑糖的, or with a little jam或加一點果醬的。People人們 say會說 a piece of shortbread or a shortbread biscuita piece of shortbread或a shortbread biscuit; they不會說 do not say a breada bread