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The Flavor Bender Recipes All Dessert Recipes Cookies, Brownies & Bars Easy Shortbread Cookies (Classic Recipe + Tips!)

Easy Shortbread Cookies (Classic Recipe + Tips!)

40 mins
Cookies, Brownies & Bars
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
1.8K shares

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Author: Dini K.
Posted: 12/1/2018
Updated: 7/17/2023
Easy Shortbread Cookies - Buttery, crumbly and light classic shortbread cookies that are easy to make with the minimal amount of ingredients you ALWAYS have in your kitchen! Make the classic version or scottish shortbread. With tips and tricks to make these cookies easily for any occasion! #ShortbreadCookies #EasyCookies #HolidayCookies #ButterCookies #CookieGuide

Here’s all you need to know about making the BEST Shortbread Cookies! Buttery, crumbly and light – classic shortbread cookies are one of a kind, and you only need a minimum of 3 ingredients (butter, sugar, flour) to make them!

I’ve provided plenty of tips to help you make PERFECT classic shortbread cookies, as well as the softer Scottish shortbread cookies.

Easy Shortbread Cookies - Buttery, crumbly and light classic shortbread cookies that are easy to make with the minimal amount of ingredients you ALWAYS have in your kitchen! Make the classic version or scottish shortbread. With tips and tricks to make these cookies easily for any occasion!

I kicked off cookie season the other day with my Classic Thumbprint Cookies recipe, and today, I’ve got in store another one of my absolute favorite cookie recipes. Classic Shortbread Cookies and I go back a loooooong way! I’ve been baking these cookies for as long as I can remember, so I thought I’d share with you guys my basic recipe for classic shortbread cookies. Once you nail this recipe, switching it up with other flavors and ingredients is simple.

So let’s start at the beginning.

A shortbread cookie dipped in hot chocolate, and placed on top of a mug of hot chocolate, with more shortbread cookies and a second mug in the background.

What are shortbread cookies?

Just like shortcake or shortcrust pastry, shortbread cookies get their “short” prefix because of the crumbly texture. The large amount of butter in the cookies makes them crumbly, while also giving them a nice buttery flavor.

Shortbread cookies are insanely popular throughout the world. They originated in Scotland. They are typically thick, and cooked at low temperature, resulting in delightfully buttery and crumbly cookies.

A stack of buttery shortbread cookies, with a bite taken out of the top cookie, on a blue and white striped tea towel. More easy shortbread cookies in the background.

Shortbread cookies today come in different shapes and forms. You can shape them into wedges (the classic shape), or into fingers (my favorite), circles, or use cookie cutters to get whatever shape you fancy.

And instead of regular buttery shortbread cookies, you can make flavored shortbread cookies, or dip them in chocolate and add nuts or sprinkles!

So, let’s look at how to make butter shortbread cookies and also how to make Scottish shortbread cookies.

Two buttery scottish shortbread cookies stacked ontop of each other, with a piece broken off to show the buttery soft middle, on a white plate. REgular calssic shortbread cookies in the background.

How to make butter shortbread cookies

THREE basic ingredients are all you need to make classic shortbread cookies.

  1. Butter (usually unsalted)
  2. Sugar (caster sugar is better)
  3. Flour

You can make perfect classic shortbread cookies with just these three ingredients. But you can also change up the flavor and texture of these ingredients to make these shortbread cookies taste even better. Here’s how.

Baked Butter shortbread cookies cooling on the baking tray, lined with white parchment paper.

BUTTER

The one thing that you shouldn’t skimp on with shortbread cookies is the butter. They are butter shortbread cookies after all. So use a GOOD QUALITY butter, because the flavor of butter is first and foremost in classic shortbread cookies. European butter is even better, because it has a better taste AND has less water than other types of butter. More fat in the butter makes for a better tasting butter, which means you can make a better tasting shortbread cookie.

To enhance the butter flavor even further, you could melt it and toast it to turn it into brown butter. But, if you do that, remember to return the brown butter to the fridge so that it hardens again, and you will need to re-measure the butter as well. Never make shortbread cookies with melted butter!

Salt is also a crucial ingredient when it comes to baking, because it can coax out more flavor from your baked goods. You can make these shortbread cookies with good quality salted butter if you like, but I prefer to add salt separately as I mix the unsalted butter. This lets me control the amount of salt I add to the butter, AND I can use a clean tasting sea salt as well. That way you get the best of both ingredients. Another reason is that salted butter has MORE water content than unsalted butter, and that can have an impact on the taste.

An overhead view of baked scottish shortbread cookies and classic shortbread cookies on a blue and white striped tea towel.

SUGAR

Caster sugar (or superfine sugar or baker’s sugar) is the sweetener of choice for me for these cookies. The fine sugar granules dissolve in the butter a lot faster, and this is crucial for shortbread cookies. Undissolved sugar crystals in the dough can cause the cookies to spread too much as they dissolve in the oven, and change the texture of the cookies.

Even if you can’t find superfine sugar, no worries – you can simply use regular granulated sugar and then process it in a blender or food processor for a few seconds or up to a minute to make it finer.

You CAN also use confectioner’s sugar for this recipe. But remember confectioner’s sugar is a mixture of sugar and cornstarch. So, instead of using 4 oz of sugar, you’d have to use 5 oz of confectioner’s sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness. This might make your shortbread cookies a little crumblier than usual, since the amount of flour will be the same. But it won’t take away from the flavor though!

An overhead view of the classic shortbread cookies on a white plate, placed on a blue and white striped tea towel

FLOUR

You can make the most amazing butter shortbread cookies with just AP flour, mixed in with butter and sugar. This is how shortbread cookies were always made.

However, I like to replace SOME of the flour with rice flour or cornstarch. The reason is that rice flour or cornstarch changes the texture of these cookies and makes them lighter, with a nicer, melt in your mouth texture.

If I have rice flour at home, then that’s my first choice. If not, then I’ll use cornstarch. And if I have neither, then I’ll just stick with all AP flour. This is just a simple way for you change up your shortbread cookie game, and alter their flavor and texture.

A white plate with easy shortbread cookies staked ontop of each other. Hot chocolate mugs and scottish shortbread cookies in the background.

It’s this short list of ingredients that makes classic shortbread cookies different from sugar cookies too. Sugar cookies also include flavoring, eggs and a leavening agent like baking soda or baking powder. Shortbread cookies do NOT contain eggs or a leavening agent, although flavoring can certainly be added. And as the name implies, sugar cookies have a higher sugar content and are sweeter, and also lighter and more crisp as well.

Overhead view of ingredients to make Shortbread Cookies, from butter, flour, rice flour and sugar in separate bowls.

So how do you make Homemade Shortbread Cookies?

Now that you know what goes into easy shortbread cookies, let’s talk about how to make them, step by step, with some tips and tricks to make it easier for you!

The first step, is creaming the butter. But make sure NOT to incorporate too much air into the butter when you do this. The more air you introduce, the more spreading that will occur as the cookies are baked. So beat the butter just enough to make it nice and creamy, but not fluffy. I like to add the salt at the same time as I cream the butter, but you can add it along with the sugar in the next step as well.

Butter and sugar mixed together until creamy in a bowl, to make shortbread cookies.

The second step, is adding the sugar. And since you want to avoid incorporating too much air, it’s important that the sugar dissolves easily into the butter as well. This is where superfine sugar really helps. It mixes and dissolves quickly, leaving no unsightly, undissolved granules in the dough. So mix the butter and sugar just enough until you get a smooth paste, but again, make sure it’s not too fluffy.

Flour mixed into the butter sugar mix, forming clumps for the dough to make shortbread cookies.

Third step, is adding the flour. I like to add AP flour and other flours together. If you’re using only AP flour, that’s OK too. Just make sure there are no lumps in the flour, and that you add them at the same time. You want to mix the flour into the dough with minimal effort, in the minimum amount of time. The longer you work the dough with the flour, the more gluten you develop, causing the cookies to be chewy and tough, instead of light and crumbly.

I only use the LOWEST speed on my mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer) to incorporate flour into the butter-sugar mix. Mix it just enough to create clumps of flour, with no dry spots, and then stop mixing immediately.

Fourth step, is to bring the clumps of flour together to make a cohesive ball of dough. Fold and knead the dough two or three times (very gently), to bring the dough together if needed. Now, the dough is ready to be rolled out and cut out for classic shortbread cookies!

The shortbread dough in a plastic lined glass bowl, being folded over to bring together to form a dough ball.

Is there an easy way to roll and cut shortbread cookies? 

YES! This brings me to my secret weapon – my favorite trick for making shortbread cookies! 🙂

Put the dough in a gallon size ziploc bag. Trust me, this is a game-changer if you want to make individual shortbread cookies (cut out shortbread cookies, instead of Scottish shortbread cookies).

A smooth disc of shortbread dough formed and placed on plastic wrap on a white table top.

I learned this trick ages ago, when I was first struggling to roll out the shortbread cookie dough to an even thickness, with minimal dough scraps. I’d roll out the cookie dough with wax paper or parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface, but I always ended up with dough scraps when I cut out the cookies, because it was too hard to roll it out to a proper square or rectangle AND an even thickness. Plus I end up over-handling the dough, which is never a good thing.

The gallon ziploc bag fixes this issue! No more sticky dough. Instead, perfect smooth surfaces, and minimal dough scraps. PLUS, you will have rolled out your shortbread cookie dough to the size you want in a matter of minutes.

Shortbread dough rolled out inside a gallon ziplock bag, to the correct size and ready to be refrigerated.

Put the dough inside the gallon ziploc bag, and press the dough into the corners of the bag, and then evenly press it to make an evenly thick slab of dough inside the bag. Keep the bag open to allow excess air to escape.

Roll out the dough, while it’s inside the bag, until it’s about 1/2 inch thick, evenly, and rectangular in shape (it won’t fill the whole gallon bag). This way you end up with a perfectly rolled shortbread dough, with minimal fuss.

Then chill the dough, so it’s easier to cut into fingers (or any other shape you like), pierce the cookies with a fork (to minimize spreading), and chill the cut cookie dough a little more before baking.

The chilled dough disc on a parchment paper, with the edges trimmed off before being cut into shapes.

How to minimize cookie spreading

  • Make sure to chill the dough before baking – You’ve already made sure that you didn’t incorporate too much air into the dough, but now you have to make sure the butter in the cookies is also properly chilled before baking. This will prevent the butter from melting too fast and spreading while the cookies are baking.
  • Never place the cookies on a warm tray – ALWAYS use a baking tray that is at room temperature, or chilled. Again, this is to prevent the butter from softening, so that it won’t melt too fast and cause the cookies to spread while baking.
  • Don’t bake the cookies at a low temperature – While classic Scottish shortbread cookies are baked at a low temperature, cut cookies should be baked at a slightly higher temperature. This way the cookies set fast, preventing too much spreading.

These cookies are baked until they’re BARELY colored, and are crisp, crumbly, buttery and addictively delicious! If you prefer softer shortbread cookies, you can make Scottish Shortbread Cookies instead! 🙂

Classic shortbread cookie fingers, chilled and placed on a parchment lined baking tray, ready to be baked.

How to make Scottish Shortbread Cookies (crumbly, thicker and softer shortbread cookies)

Once you’ve made the shortbread dough, transfer it into a ziploc bag, or place it between two parchment paper sheets. At this point, you need to decide whether you want to make Scottish shortbread cookies as a wedge (classic shape), or rectangles, so that you know which pan to use for baking.

For wedges – Springform circle pan (8 or 9 inch)

For rectangles – Square pan (8 inch)

Shortbread dough pressed into a springform pan with decorations on the edges, ready to be baked into Scottish Shortbread cookies.
Scottish shortbread cookies baked in the springform pan, ready to be cut into wedges.

Gently press the dough and shape it a little smaller than the size of the pan you’re going to use (square or circle). Then transfer the dough into the lined pan, and press it towards the edges of the pan, while making sure the dough has an even thickness everywhere. I use a toothpick to make sure that it’s even along the edges of the pan.

An 8 inch round pan will create shortbread cookies that are about 1 inch thick, and a 9 inch round pan or 8 inch square pan will create shortbread cookies that are about 1/2 – 3/4 inch thick.

Baked soft Scottish shortbread on a parchment lined baking tray with golden edges.

Cut the dough into wedges while in the pan. Bake the cookie dough at a lower temperature, until the dough is mostly cooked through. Then cut the cookies along the same cuts you made earlier, and bake the individual cookies in the oven for just a few more minutes, until you get delightfully buttery, thick Scottish shortbread cookies!

So there you go! 🙂 You can make homemade buttery shortbread cookies in two different ways – cut out shortbread cookies or Scottish shortbread cookies. Either way, they are just the most buttery, crumbly, and also super versatile cookies. You can even make shortbread cookie balls and fill them with jam for a different version of thumbprint cookies.

Classic Thumbprint Cookies

Classic thumbprint cookies placed on a white plate, with four cookies on a plate and a stack of cookies behind them.

These are so easy, I make them all the time! I make classic shortbread cookies or flavored shortbread cookies (such as these chocolate shortbread cookies, espresso shortbread cookies, or these chocolate chip and cranberry shortbread cookies) at least once a month. They are perfect for the holidays, or to just enjoy with your tea or coffee. You could also dip some of the cookies in chocolate for a chocolate-dipped version, but honestly, you just can’t beat the classic version!

A mug of hot chocolate in the foreground with a shortbread cookie placed ontop of the mug. In the background, a stack of shortbread cookies, and a white plate with scottish shortbread cookies and a second mug of hot chocolate.

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Easy Shortbread Cookies - Buttery, crumbly and light classic shortbread cookies that are easy to make with the minimal amount of ingredients you ALWAYS have in your kitchen! Make the classic version or scottish shortbread. With tips and tricks to make these cookies easily for any occasion!
5 from 22 votes

Easy Shortbread cookies

Author: Dini K.
Cuisine: European
Measurements for this recipe are given in weights to ensure perfect results, every time. Volume measurements are approximations, and may not yield consistent results. 
Minimum of 60 minutes of inactive chilling time. 
Prep: 20 minutes minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour hour
Cook: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 20 Cookies
Print Rate

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz unsalted butter (1 cup) softened
  • Generous pinch of sea salt
  • 4 oz caster sugar (½ cup + 1 tbsp) see recipe notes
  • 10 oz AP flour (2 1/3 cup)
  • 2 oz rice flour (5 ½ tbsp) optional, but recommended - see recipe notes for substitutes

Flavoring (optional - see recipe notes)

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract OR
  • 1 ½ tsp almond extract
  • 2 tsp orange extract OR
  • Zest of half an orange
US Customary - Metric

Instructions:

Classic Shortbread Cookies

  • Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl, and mix on medium speed until creamy (using a paddle beater) - about 2 to 4 minutes. You an use a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer.
  • Add the sugar and mix until the sugar and butter are well mixed, and the mix is nice and creamy - about 1 to 2 minutes. If you're using any flavoring, add it to the mixture along with the sugar. 
  • Add the AP flour and rice flour (if using) and MIX ON LOW (or the stir setting), until the flour is mixed in with the butter-sugar mix, and the dough forms clumps. DO NOT over-mix, as this can make the cookies tough and chewy. 
  • Using floured hands OR a spatula - bring the dough together to form a cohesive dough (fold the dough over 2 - 3 times to help bring it together). Then flatten the dough into a disc shape.
  • Place the dough disc in a gallon-size ziploc bag, on a flat smooth surface. Without closing the bag, gently roll the dough using a rolling pin, maintaining an even thickness throughout the dough. Press/roll the dough into the bottom edge of the ziploc bag, and form a roughly 10. 5 x 9 inch rectangle, that's about ½ inch thick. Keep the bag open while you do this to allow excess air to escape, so you can easily roll out the dough to an even thickness.
  • Once the dough has been rolled out, close the bag, and carefully place it on a sheet pan. Then transfer this to the fridge to chill for about 30 - 60 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough to cut through.
  • Next, carefully remove the dough disc from the ziploc bag. Place the dough on a parchment paper on a smooth surface, and using a sharp knife - trim the edges to get a rectangle (about 10 x 8 ¾ inches).
  • Cut the dough lengthwise, along the middle, to get two slabs of dough, each approximately 10 x 4 inches.
  • Using a sharp knife OR a crinkle cutter - cut shortbread fingers that are about 1 inch in width. With a straight knife, you should get about 20 cookies, and with a crinkle cutter you may get about 18 - 20 cookies depending on how you cut them.
  • Using a fork or toothpick - pierce each cookie in a pattern on top (see pictures in the post). Transfer the parchment paper with the cookies onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for about another 30 - 60 minutes, until the cookies are chilled. Sometimes I cover the pan and keep it in the fridge overnight as well at this point. 
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. When the cookies are ready to be baked, place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, about 1 inch apart (you may need to use 2 half sheet pans for all the cookies).
  • Bake the cookies in the center of the oven, for about 15 - 20 minutes, or just until the bottom edges of the cookies are starting to color. Make sure to check on the cookies every few minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool.
  • Repeat with the second sheet pan of shortbread cookies. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies

  • Once the dough has been shaped into a disc, and placed inside a gallon-size ziploc bag, gently press the dough to form a circle that's roughly about 7 inches in diameter, and evenly thick.
  • Butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Place the dough in the prepared springform pan. Press the dough to fill the cake pan, while making sure the thickness is even throughout.
  • Optional - you can make the edge of the dough a little thicker than the rest, and pinch it to make a fluted edge. This is just an optional decorating idea for your Scottish shortbread cookies.
  • Using a sharp knife - cut the dough into 8 wedges while still in the pan, and pierce the dough using a fork or a toothpick in a pattern (see pictures in post).
  • Place the dough in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour, or longer.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake the cookies for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the edges are a golden brown. A 9 inch pan may only take 40 - 45 minutes, and an 8 inch pan may take up to 60 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven, and run a small flat knife along the edge of the pan, and carefully remove the springform pan collar from the base. Use a sharp or a serrated knife to cut the shortbread cookies into wedges (along the cuts you made before). Use a spatula to carefully lift the cookies and place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and return the cookies to the oven for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the edges are set. You don’t want the cut edges to color, so keep an eye on them.
  • Remove from the oven, and allow them to cool. Serve at room temperature.

Tips & Tricks

Note 1 - If you don’t have caster sugar, you can substitute with,
  • An equal amount (by weight) of regular granulated sugar, but process the sugar in a food processor or blender to make it finer.
  • Or about 4.5 oz of confectioner's sugar.
Note 2 - If you don’t have rice flour at home, you can substitute with,
  • An equal amount of cornstarch (by weight) OR
  • Simply replace it with extra AP flour - so 12 oz (2 ¾ cup) instead of 10 oz.
Note 3 - Flavoring is optional. I don’t usually use flavoring for classic shortbread, but vanilla is my first choice if I do so.
Recipe variations
Chocolate shortbread cookies, Buttery espresso shortbread cookies, Chocolate chip and cranberry shortbread cookies

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 150kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Cholesterol: 24mg (8%)Sodium: 1mgPotassium: 20mg (1%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 285IU (6%)Calcium: 5mg (1%)Iron: 0.7mg (4%)

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”

Course:Cookies, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine:European
Keyword:Butter Cookies, Christmas Cookies, Cookies, Shortbread Cookies
Did you make this?Tag me on Instagram!I love seeing what you’ve made! Tag me on Instagram at @TheFlavorBender or leave me a comment & rating below.

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  1. Meg says

    July 25, 2022 at 07:42

    5 stars
    PERFECTION!

    Reply
  2. Maggie Cassey says

    August 5, 2021 at 21:56

    Can I add cocoa to this for mocha flavored cookies? How much?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 2, 2021 at 14:17

      Hi Maggie!
      You can substitute some of the flour with cocoa powder (by weight), maybe about 20 – 30 g?

      Reply
  3. Terry says

    May 22, 2021 at 12:45

    Too much flour! I cannot get a cohesive dough and followed the recipe to the letter (by volume not weight). I had to add softened butter after dumping the dough out of the bag, sacrificing texture for saving the dough. Iused about 1/3 less flour for a second batch and it worked fine (other recipes call for 2 c flour for same amount of butter–this calls for 2 & 1/3 plus 5 Tbs rice flour). Also if you like salt in your sweet, a pinch is not enough. Other recipes call for 3/4 tsp for same volume.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 22, 2021 at 19:37

      Hi Terry!
      As mentioned in the recipe, using volume measurements may not yield consistent results.
      The reason is because the way you measure flour with a cup will result in different amounts of flour by weight. 1 cup of flour equals between 120 – 125 g. The flour is first fluffed in the package, then spooned into the cup and leveled off. If you scooped the flour out of the bag, then it can pack up to 140 g of flour, yielding too much.
      Also, if you do like your shortbread to be sweet and salty, you should add more. I only use a pinch (three fingers), to balance the sweetness without a pronounced salt flavor. I hope that helps!

      Reply
  4. Clady says

    April 5, 2021 at 08:45

    5 stars
    I love this recipes because it makes buttery non greasy cookies with perfect crunch. I use dishwasher safe reusable bags from Amazon. Thank you for the clear information and options.

    Reply
  5. Parm B. says

    November 23, 2020 at 21:07

    5 stars
    I lost my recipe book and have not made shortbread in years so I decided to look on the internet. There are so many recipes to choose from and I was having problems deciding which recipe to use so I decided to do a taste test. I picked 3 different and had my family of 6 rate them. each cookie (6 members in my family). The majority of my family rated this recipe as either their favourite or second favourite (3 it was there favourite hands down, one thought it tied with another, and the last 2 picked one that was made with powdered sugar. Unfortunately those 2 had just had some orthodontic work done the day before so preferred the one made with powdered sugar as it was softer on their sore teeth. I am pretty confident that if I had done these on any other day they would have picked this recipe as well 🙂

    This recipe was very tasty and easy to cut. I had a little bit of spreading on the edges but since they were just for family, I wasn’t concerned. , If I was giving these out to friends then I may have taken the time to cut the edges while they were just warm. I would like to note that I do live at a high altitude (Rocky Mountains, approx 3500′) so that could have had something to do with it. Perhaps I will adjust the recipe slightly to account for the high altitude or change the temperature on my oven somewhat.

    P.S I did not have any rice flour or cornstarch so I made this recipe using only All Purpose flour. I may just have to do another taste taste using the the rice flour and cornstarch as well, lol.

    Thanks again for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
  6. Elsie C says

    August 4, 2020 at 03:07

    Hello! I would love to try this recipe but I wonder if you could tell me, what kind of rice flour do you use? The slightly grainy type of the superfine Asian type that almost feels like cornstarch? Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      August 5, 2020 at 09:25

      Hi Elsie
      I use the slightly grainy rice flour, but it’s still fine in texture. It doesn’t feel like cornstarch.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Elsie says

        August 8, 2020 at 13:38

        Thank you! Yes very helpful! I think maybe I was thinking of rice starch.

        Reply
  7. Erlynn Samuel says

    June 4, 2020 at 07:27

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe… especially the use of rice flour. The cookies turned out great. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      June 4, 2020 at 14:14

      Thank you for letting me know Erlynn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Dianne Campbell says

    May 23, 2020 at 00:50

    5 stars
    Hi can you make the dough and leave it in the fridge overnight and cook it The next day thank you

    Reply
    • Dini says

      May 23, 2020 at 07:04

      Hi Dianne
      Yes you can! Just make sure to cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
  9. Sharon Graham says

    April 25, 2020 at 04:28

    Love reading theses tips can’t wait to try..

    Reply
  10. Lungile Mbuyisa says

    April 20, 2020 at 10:11

    I love all the recipes above

    Reply
  11. Gabriel Hagan says

    April 15, 2020 at 07:02

    I loved this recipe so much and i will try it

    Reply
  12. Helen Dyer says

    April 7, 2020 at 23:15

    5 stars
    These were delicious!! So easy to make with my 3 year old ! Highly recommend.

    Reply
  13. Raha khodaverdi says

    April 1, 2020 at 08:58

    I love this recipe so much

    Reply
  14. Sujitrapa says

    March 22, 2020 at 03:51

    5 stars
    Very easy to understand and follow. Beautiful picture. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Temitope says

    March 7, 2020 at 14:26

    5 stars
    Wonderful

    Reply
  16. Kari Kjøniksen says

    March 7, 2020 at 12:52

    5 stars
    Easy to make and absolutely delicious. As a crazy cat lady I of course cut my cookies into cat-shapes. The dough baked beautifully and kept the shape well

    Reply
  17. Lind says

    March 3, 2020 at 21:13

    I really love this recipe.. it tastes so good and your directions are superb

    Reply
  18. Dawn Wuerthner says

    February 15, 2020 at 09:03

    Making now for neighors. I’m a local chef that’s bonded any new my home thru the love of sweets and international baked familys recipes from my family. Korean Spanish Portuguese Hawaiian German n irish. We retired to mountains. And my husband and I both mear cutters are so happy to always bond w great food n sweets. Will submit pics n looking forward to more recipes than k you

    Reply
  19. Dilice Bayley says

    February 13, 2020 at 13:49

    I am baking the shortbread cookies now and wondering if this recipe can be used in molds and if yes approximately how long to bake.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      February 13, 2020 at 15:40

      Hi Dilice
      Making them in a mold would be comparable to making scottish shortbread? Then you should be able to follow instructions for scottish shortbread in the recipe. The cook time will depend entirely on the thickness of the dough when it’s in the mold, so I can’t be sure how long it would take. I bake it at a low temperature ranging from 45 – 60 minutes (1/2 inch – 1 inch thickness).
      The inside will be less crumbly than regular shortbread.
      Hopefully that is helpful!

      Reply
      • Dilice says

        February 18, 2020 at 17:28

        Thank you, mine turned out great and will try using molds and Scottish recipe.

        Reply
  20. rozy sheik says

    February 8, 2020 at 18:55

    5 stars
    i love shortbread

    Reply
  21. Kari Kjøniksen says

    January 22, 2020 at 20:02

    5 stars
    Greetings from Norway. I made this recipe before Christmas. It was an absolute hit; my dad has cancer and is on chemotherapy with very little appetite, but he loved these. I added a bit more salt and substituted a little of the flour with almond flour on the next batch, also incredibly yummy. ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
  22. Anonimouse says

    January 16, 2020 at 06:44

    Making these again soon!

    Reply
  23. Yemisi olagoroye says

    January 10, 2020 at 13:18

    this recipe is amazing. Thanks.

    Reply
  24. Lori R says

    January 7, 2020 at 12:40

    5 stars
    I haven’t made the cookies yet but I’m going to very soon. Thank you for the hints they are terrific.

    Reply
  25. Jon says

    January 4, 2020 at 12:01

    I find that I need to use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup more butter in this recipe to get a cohesive dough

    Reply
    • Dini says

      January 4, 2020 at 21:10

      Hi Jon
      If you used weight measurements for the flour, then 1 cup of butter will be enough. However if you used cup measurements, the amount of flour could vary, which could lead to other ingredients varying as well.
      I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Manohar Ratnayake says

        February 11, 2023 at 23:06

        I love your recipe for short bread cookies

        Reply
  26. Abigail Anim says

    January 3, 2020 at 08:52

    This recipe is really great for beginners

    Reply
  27. Marlee Sharpe says

    January 1, 2020 at 01:27

    5 stars
    These are amazing!!!

    Reply
  28. Sherrie says

    December 23, 2019 at 22:19

    5 stars
    These are delicious, and the comprehensive explanations of how/why to do the steps makes it easy. One tip for Aussie bakers if you are wondering, like I was, what a gallon Ziploc is…I used a 27x33cm large storage size bag and it was perfect. Thanks, Dini!

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 24, 2019 at 08:36

      Thank you so much for letting me know Sherrie. 🙂 I’m so glad the explanations helped, and you liked the recipe!

      Reply
  29. Doaa says

    December 22, 2019 at 13:52

    5 stars
    Phenomenal Dini. Thanks for the recipe and instructions. I’ve modified the recipe a little to add flavours and baked 8 batches to give out as gifts. All rolled into a log, placed in the fridge, cut up and then baked as disks. Decorated and boxed with a ribbon. Lovely. Thx

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 24, 2019 at 08:34

      Thank you so much for letting me know Doaa! These cookies really do make lovely gifts. 🙂 I’m so glad you liked the recipe.

      Reply
  30. Nicole Kortelainen says

    December 19, 2019 at 16:01

    5 stars
    Lovely biscuits!

    Reply
  31. Jade says

    December 18, 2019 at 17:52

    How long do they keep?

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 18, 2019 at 18:38

      Hi Jade
      They should last about 1 week in an air-tight container at room temperature. They will last about 1-2 months if frozen in freezer bags.
      Hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Anonimouse says

        December 24, 2019 at 05:06

        5 stars
        Last a week?! … not in our house they won’t! Lol!

        We are making these as I type, they are currently resting/cooling in the fridge.

        Couldn’t get the mix to combine without adding a touch of liquid so we used 4 capfuls of full fat milk.
        It was fine then.

        Will add another comment after we eat them!

        Ps. Thank you for the detailed explanation of each step and WHY!

        I look forward to eating them.
        Thanks again!

        Reply
        • AnoniMouse says

          September 17, 2022 at 09:51

          Beautiful shortbread!!

          Reply
  32. Stacey says

    December 18, 2019 at 16:45

    Hi, I am wanting to make these cookies as gifts. How long do they last please.

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 18, 2019 at 18:37

      Hi Stacey!
      They should last about 1 week in an air-tight container at room temperature. They will last about 1-2 months if frozen in freezer bags.
      Hope that helps 🙂

      Reply
      • Stacey Gibbins says

        December 19, 2019 at 21:39

        Thankyou. That lets me know when to bake for gifts on Christmas Day. I am making a trial batch today. Wish me luck.

        Reply
  33. Hani says

    December 12, 2019 at 00:51

    Hi Dini
    Thanks for the tips! Definitely going to try out the recipe soon.
    Love from Sri Lanka =)

    Reply
  34. Lea Halinen says

    December 2, 2019 at 20:50

    5 stars
    Thank you for the very clear instructions on how to make good shortbread. I really liked the fact that the website had reasons for doing each step and suggestions for substitutions and other flavouring choices. Also the fact that weights were used in the recipe I was very confident as to the fact I just needed to patiently work the flour in. I made the best shortbread I had ever made. Thank you

    Reply
    • Dini says

      December 3, 2019 at 07:00

      Thank you so much Lea! I’m so glad the tips and instructions helped, and you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂

      Reply
  35. Bibi Habib says

    November 29, 2019 at 03:26

    I love short bread cookies ❤️

    Reply
  36. AnnieG says

    November 13, 2019 at 01:48

    My mother used to blend the butter and sugar by hand even though she had a mixer. Worked fine too

    Reply
  37. Jax says

    September 15, 2019 at 02:49

    Your sugar weight seems to be off. 1 Cup of Sugar = 7 oz, not 4 oz

    Reply
    • Dini says

      September 15, 2019 at 07:01

      Hi Jax, Thank you for pointing it out, it should’ve read 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp caster sugar. I’ve corrected it now.

      Reply
  38. Amanda says

    February 10, 2019 at 14:03

    5 stars
    Love how easy these shortbread cookies are! Lovely texture.

    Reply
  39. krissy says

    February 10, 2019 at 13:59

    5 stars
    These are so simple, so cute, and so delicious! great with just about anything!

    Reply
  40. Linda says

    February 3, 2019 at 09:41

    5 stars
    What great tips on making the perfect shortbread cookies. I knew about the European butter but your suggestion on the rice or cornstarch addition seems like it will elevate my shortbread cookies to the “can’t get enough” stage.

    Reply
  41. Aimee Shugarman says

    February 3, 2019 at 06:28

    5 stars
    These shortbread cookies are seriously my favorite. So melt in your mouth, delicious! Thank you for all the tips!

    Reply

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