Shortbread Cookies are made with solely 5 easy components to create a young, flaky, buttery cookie that’s melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious.
When you’re craving a cookie that’s buttery and never overly candy, shortbread cookies are the right resolution to fulfill that craving.
This basic Scottish recipe is understood for being a flaky, buttery cookie that isn’t overly candy. They’re made with solely a handful of straightforward components to create a cookie with a crisp, but delicate texture that may soften in your mouth, very similar to my recipe for Snowball Cookies.
In my e book, shortbread cookies are the right deal with, particularly when dipped right into a sizzling beverage like a home made latte or a mug of Christmas Tea or sizzling chocolate. They’re somewhat bit salty, somewhat bit candy, and oh, so buttery. Simply scrumptious.
Key Substances
- Butter: Unsalted butter is finest for baking, and that is true for shortbread as nicely. In the event you solely occur to have salted butter readily available, be at liberty to make use of it, simply omit the added salt from the recipe. I might not substitute vegan butter on this Shortbread Cookie recipe, because the fats content material will not be the identical and the cookies is not going to maintain their form or texture nicely.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is finest for this recipe. I’ve not had success utilizing complete wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour when making shortbread cookies.
- Powdered Sugar: I like to recommend utilizing powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar within the dough, as it’s much less dense than granulated sugar and produces a lighter cookie.
- Granulated Sugar: I take advantage of granulated sugar on high of the cookie for texture and a little bit of extra sweetness, however it isn’t essential.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is non-compulsory, and never all the time added to conventional shortbread recipes. Nonetheless, I like the trace of vanilla that it lends to the cookie.
Easy methods to Make Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Earlier than you start making these shortbread cookies, you will need to notice that it’s CRUCIAL so that you can measure the components accurately. The powdered sugar and flour ought to be fluffed and spooned into the measuring cup, then leveled off. If the dry components are packed down while you measure them, or in case your measuring cup is overflowing, the shortbread dough will prove crumbly.
- In a big mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract collectively on medium-high pace till gentle and fluffy.
- Add the flour and salt to the butter combination and blend till mixed. If the dough remains to be crumbly, press collectively along with your palms right into a cohesive dough.
- On a calmly floured floor, pat or roll the dough into an 8×8 sq. that’s about ½ inch thick. I’ve discovered for many individuals, it really works higher to form your dough BEFORE you chill it, making it tremendous simple to slice and bake after chilling.
- Wrap the dough nicely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the very least half-hour. It will permit the butter to get chilly and kind air pockets within the cookie because it melts, protecting it gentle and tender–much like biscuits.
- When you’re able to bake the cookies, preheat the oven.
- As soon as the oven is absolutely preheated, take away the dough from the fridge and reduce the dough into 2-inch squares, for a complete of 16 cookies.
- Piece cookies with a fork, toothpick, or skewer, a number of occasions. It will permit steam to flee and the shortbread to not puff up an excessive amount of because it bakes.
- Place the shortbread cookies onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper about 1 inch aside from one another.
- Sprinkle calmly with the granulated sugar. It will give the shortbread a pleasant crunch and candy end.
- Bake the shortbread cookies till calmly golden and set for about 18 to twenty minutes. Watch out to not let cookies brown, they need to be pretty pale in coloration.
- Let the shortbread cool to room temperature on the baking sheet after which take away the cookies to a cooling rack or platter for serving.
Easy methods to Retailer Shortbread
As soon as the shortbread cookies have absolutely cooled, switch them to an hermetic container and retailer them for as much as 7 days at room temperature. Alternatively, you’ll be able to freeze shortbread in a freezer-safe container for as much as 3 months. I do want inserting shortbread in a container versus a freezer bag to maintain them from being broken as issues are tossed about within the freezer. Defrost at room temperature and revel in.
Make-Forward Directions
Shortbread Cookie Dough may be made as much as 5 days prematurely. Put together the dough as directed and retailer the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, within the fridge for as much as 5 days or within the freezer in a freezer-safe storage container for as much as one month. Defrost within the fridge in a single day if wanted, after which roll, reduce, and bake the cookies as directed.
Recipe Modifications
- Make it Festive: As a substitute of topping your shortbread with granulated sugar, use coloured glowing sugar to the cookies earlier than baking.
- Add Sprinkles: Rapidly combine ½ cup of sprinkles into your cookie dough after mixing within the flour. Form, chill, slice, and bake as directed.
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread: As soon as your cookies have been baked and cooled, soften 1 cup of darkish or semi-sweet chocolate chips right into a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals till melted. Dip half the cookie into the melted chocolate after which place it on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Enable the chocolate to harden after which serve or retailer as directed. - Add Almond Extract: To boost the nutty taste of the butter, add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the shortbread cookies together with the vanilla extract.
Extra Do-it-yourself Cookie Recipes
I hope you like these shortbread cookies as a lot as I do! In the event you give them a attempt, I might love so that you can depart a remark and score under.
Shortbread Cookies
A simple 5-ingredient recipe for traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies which might be buttery, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth.
Servings: 16
Energy: 188kcal
Prevents your display from going darkish whereas getting ready the recipe.
Directions
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In a big mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, beat collectively the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar on medium-high pace till gentle and fluffy, scraping down the perimeters as wanted. Add the flour and salt to the creamed components and blend on low till the dough is simply mixed. It would look a bit crumbly.
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Flip the dough out onto a calmly floured work floor and produce the dough collectively to kind a cohesive dough. Pat or roll the dough into an 8×8 sq. that’s about ½ inch thick. Wrap the dough nicely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the very least half-hour.
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As soon as able to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Take away the chilled dough from the fridge and reduce the dough into 2” squares. Place the cookies onto the ready pan about 1 inch aside from one another.
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Piece cookies with a fork or skewer, a number of occasions. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
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Bake till calmly golden and set, 18 to twenty minutes. Don’t let cookies brown as they need to be pretty pale in coloration.
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Let cool to room temperature on the baking sheet after which take away to a baking rack or container.
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Retailer the cooled shortbread cookies in an hermetic container for as much as 7 days at room temperature or in a freezer-safe container for as much as 1 month.
Notes
Word on Chilling: I’ve discovered for a lot of of you, it’s simpler to sit back the dough AFTER shaping, reasonably than chilling after which shaping.
Butter: In the event you solely have salted butter, merely omit the salt from the recipe and proceed as directed.
Make-Forward Directions: Shortbread Cookie Dough may be made as much as 5 days prematurely. Put together the dough as directed and retailer the dough, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, within the fridge for as much as 5 days or within the freezer in a freezer-safe storage container for as much as one month. Defrost within the fridge in a single day if wanted, after which reduce and bake the cookies as directed.
Make it Festive: As a substitute of topping your shortbread with granulated sugar, use coloured glowing sugar to the cookies earlier than baking.
Add Sprinkles: Rapidly combine ½ cup of sprinkles into your cookie dough after mixing within the flour. Form, chill, slice, and bake as directed.
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread: As soon as your cookies have been baked and cooled, soften 1 cup of darkish or semi-sweet chocolate chips right into a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals till melted. Dip half the cookie into the melted chocolate after which place it on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Enable the chocolate to harden after which serve or retailer as directed.
Add Almond Extract: To boost the nutty taste of the butter, add ¼ teaspoon of almond extract to the shortbread cookies together with the vanilla extract.
Diet
Energy: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fats: 12g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Ldl cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 24mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
This publish was initially shared in 2020 however up to date in 2022 with new ideas.
