crumble: to break apart easily; to break into small bits
pastry: flaky baked goods that separate easily
shortening: a solid fat, such as butter, used for making crumbly pastry
flaky: breaks away easily in long strands (e.g., as a croissant does)
last: to exist; to retain its shape or form
Shortbread Means Crumbly Bread
The word short typically means not long or not tall. The word can describe time, height and distance. Hundreds of years ago, short was also used to refer to crumbly baked goods. This is how the word shortbread came about. If you’ve ever baked shortbread, you know that it doesn’t stay together very well when it’s hot. The crumbling is caused by the high fat content. Shortbread contains a lot of butter or other shortening. The word shortening refers to any type of solid fat used to make flaky or crumbly pastry. Shortbread biscuits originated in Scotland, and were traditionally reserved for holidays and special occasions, such as Christmas. Shortbread tastes so good it doesn’t last long in most households.
