These easy shortbread cookies are so deliciously buttery and crumbly, and you only need a minimum of 3 ingredients to make them! Perfect recipe for beginners, and it's super versatile with many options for flavor additions. EASY - This is an easy recipe to follow. Perfect for beginners! With the tips and hacks that I have provided, it takes all the guesswork out of rolling out the cookies as well. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results, as volume measurements can cause variations and inconsistent results. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements are used for imperial measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Makes about 18 - 20 cookies. Minimum of 60 minutes of inactive chilling time. Can also be chilled and stored overnight.
4ozcaster sugar (½ cup + 1 tbsp), see recipe notes below
2¾cupAP flour 12 oz / 2¾, see recipe notes for recommendations
Flavoring (optional - see recipe notes)
2tspvanilla extract OR
1 ½tspalmond extract
2tsporange extract OR
Zest of half an orange
Instructions
Easy shortbread cookies
Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl, and mix on medium speed until creamy (using a paddle beater) - about 2 - 4 minutes. You an use a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer.
2 sticks unsalted butter, ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Add the sugar and mix until the sugar and butter are well mixed, and the mix is nice and creamy - about 1 - 2 minutes. If you're using any flavoring, add it to the mixture along with the sugar.
4 oz caster sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract OR, 1 ½ tsp almond extract, 2 tsp orange extract OR, Zest of half an orange
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 overmix, as this can make the cookies tough and chewy.
2¾ cup AP flour
Using floured hands OR a spatula - bring the mix 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 and sealing the bag, gently roll the dough using a rolling pin, maintaining an even thickness throughout the dough. Press / roll the dough into the bottom end 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, removing as much air as possible in the process. Carefully place it on a sheet pan or flat plate. 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 then using a sharp knife - trim the edges to get a rectangle (about 10 x 8 ¾ inches).
Cut the dough length-wise, 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 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 / 180°C. 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 the post).
Place the dough in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour, or longer.
Preheat your oven to 325°F / 163°C. Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake the cookies for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the edges are 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. 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.
Notes
Note about sugar
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 (icing sugar).
Note about flour, and adding cornstarch / rice flour
I recommend using weight measurements to get the correct amount of flour. If you're using cups, then first fluff up the flour and spoon it into your measuring cup to overflow. Then use a flat blade to level off the excess flour (i.e. spoon and level method). Do not scoop and level the flour as this will add too much flour into the dough and make your cookies dry.
How to enhance the texture of the shortbread
Cornstarch and rice flour can be added to enhance the texture of the shortbread cookies.If you'd like to add cornstarch or rice flour to the shortbread cookies (which I highly recommend!), this is how to do it. Reduce the flour by 60 g, and add 60 g of cornstarch or rice flour. So, in the recipe, the ingredient amount would be, 280 g / 2¼ cup AP flour60 g / 6 tbsp cornstarch or rice flour
Note about flavoring
Flavoring is optional. I don’t usually use flavoring for classic shortbread, but vanilla is my first choice if I do so.