Shortbread Cookies

Make It At Home

The first time we had classic shortbread cookies was at a family friend’s house. The cookies had the perfect mouth texture. They weren’t crumbly shortbread cookies, but it was clear that they were made with a classic shortbread recipe because of their incredible flavor and consistency. We wanted more… and more, but there wasn’t enough to go around.

So, we started searching for the best cookies in the stores because our taste buds were eager to enjoy some.The price at which they were sold could make us faint. We believed it was so much money just for “biscuits.”

But they taste really good and they are very rich so we understand but we couldn’t keep churning out all that money for satisfying cookies. So, we had a good idea: we would find a way to make our own flavorful shortbread cookies. To bring our favorite cookies to life in our own kitchen.

We're happy we created this base recipe for shortbread fingers because next time we crave these sweet treats, we can refer back to this easy shortbread cookie recipe (and you can, too)! So, what do these butter shortbread cookies entail? Let’s get into it!

Worth cooking

These milky, buttery cookies (did we already say that?) are just divine. We thought the recipe would include milk since they taste milky, but nope. The very present milky taste comes from the butter.

So, no milk is needed in this shortbread recipe. The butter makes it taste milky because butter is dairy. It isn’t too sweet, either, almost like a shortbread biscuit. If you love easy shortbread cookies, also check out these Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Ingredients for Homemade Shortbread Cookies

You only need 3 main ingredients for homemade shortbread cookies. These are similar to Scottish shortbread cookies since you don’t need added leavening agents!

1. Butter. You can use either salted or unsalted butter. Wef you choose to use salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe! European butter is also a fantastic option, as it has a high fat content. It is up to your personal preference.
2. Sugar. This recipe calls for icing sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) instead of granulated sugar.
3. Plain Flour. You can use all-purpose flour for this recipe. We have never tried this recipe with rice flour or other kinds, and we believe AP flour is best here.

For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.

How it comes together

This simple recipe is easy to make since you can make the dough by hand. However, you can make it in different ways: if you want to use a stand mixer, use a paddle attachment. You can also use a hand mixer, as long as you are careful not to overmix.

Prep the parchment-lined baking sheet: Line one large or two medium baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.

1: Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put room temperature butter and sugar in a large bowl.

2: Cream together until well incorporated. (If using a mixer, use medium speed).

3: Sieve your flour into the mixing bowl. Then, add a pinch of salt. (If using an electric mixer, start with low speed then slowly increase it).

4: Mix together. The mixture will be slightly tough. Just try to get everything together.

5: Now mold into a ball of dough.

6: Wrap shortbread dough in a plastic wrap and try to form it into a rectangle as much as you can. It should be about half an inch thick.

7: Now place the dough in a fridge and let it cool for about 30 minutes. You need to do this so you can shape your cookies properly. Take it out and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about a quarter inch thick.

Tip: Leave the plastic wrap on while doing this so you don’t have to work on a lightly floured surface. Your work surface will remain clean with the plastic!

8: Remove the plastic wrap and trim the edges to form a rectangle—or something in the form of a rectangle. Ha. With a sharp knife, cut out into little rectangles—about 2-4 inches long. If you have cookie cutters, you can use them to cut different shapes.

Join together your trimmed edges to form a ball, roll it out, and cut out more cookies. Note that if your dough starts feeling melty (butter will melt fast if the atmosphere is warm), put it in the fridge to harden for a few minutes, then take it out and continue. You can also place the cookies in the fridge for about 10 minutes before baking if they feel too soft.

9: Place your cuts in a single layer on your prepared cookie sheet. Use a fork to poke each piece a couple of times.

10: Bake shortbread on the prepared baking sheet in the oven for about 10 minutes or until light golden brown in color. The bake time can vary slightly depending on your oven.

Note that your baked cookies will be slightly soft once they come out of the oven. But that’s okay. They will firm up as they cool down.

Avoid moving them around or off of the baking pan too soon while they are very hot so you don’t break them. Wait until they are firmer to place them on a wire rack.

Other ways

• Decorate Them: You can decorate these cookies like you would sugar cookies! Make a satisfying royal icing to create designs on them, or simply heat some chocolate chips and use the melted chocolate to do so.
• Sugar: Before baking them, sprinkle on a small amount of brown sugar or coarse sugar for added sweetness and texture.
• Jam: Bake these shortbread cookies with jam! Use a round cutter and put a small dollop of your favorite jam before baking for a fruity flavor.
• Edible Flowers: If you can get ahold of small edible flowers, you can gently press them against the dough. First, apply egg whites with a pastry brush so the flowers will stick.
• Sprinkles: Mix sprinkles directly into the dough or add them on top before baking, gently pressing them so that they don’t fall off during baking.

Cook notes

• These homemade shortbread cookies are great for any time of year, but especially for Christmas time, New Year, Valentine’s Day, or any celebration! Try making them during the holiday season and using them in cookie exchanges. These shortbread cookies also make great edible gifts!
• There are lots of options in regard to how you can shape these cookies. Although we mentioned cutting them with knives or cutters, you can also create a log shape with the dough and slice the log to create uniform cookies. Or, use a cookie press to create pretty shapes!
• If you want a deeper flavor, add a small amount of vanilla extract or another baking extract. Just remember that a little goes a long way!
• If you don’t have icing sugar, you can make your own with granulated sugar and corn starch. Use a blender or food processor and mix the two until it forms the consistency of confectioners’ sugar. For every 1 cup of granulated sugar, you only need a couple of teaspoons of cornstarch.
• You can also bake these cookies on a silicone mat instead of parchment paper.

If you would love to store some, be sure to keep the cookies in an airtight container so they don’t get bad. Check out the full printable recipe below!

How it comes together

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• Yield: 36 cookies
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter (225g), it has to be butter and not margarine.
• 2 cups flour (250g)
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit. Grease a baking tray or line with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Put room temperature butter and sugar in a bowl. Use a fork or wooden spoon to mix together until well combined.
3. Add in half of your flour and the salt. Mix together. The mixture will be very crumbly at this stage.
4. Add in the remaining flour and mix well. Use your hand to combine everything to form a ball of dough.
5. Wrap dough in a plastic wrap and try to form it into a rectangle as much as you can with your hand. It should be about half an inch thick.
6. Now place the dough in a fridge and let it cool for about 30 minutes. You need to do this so you can shape your cookies properly. While the dough is in the fridge, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).Take out dough and roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick. Leave the plastic wrap on while doing this.
7. Now open the wrap then you cut the dough into rectangles. If you have a cookie cutter, you could just use it to cut to desired shapes.
8. Place your cuts on trays lined with parchment paper.
9. Use a fork to poke each piece a couple of times.
10. Now bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until light golden in color.