I’m a firm believer that shortbread cookies should be sinfully buttery and delectably tender, and this shortbread recipe is exactly that. It’s simply perfect – and it looks as good as it tastes.
With the signature delicate crumbly texture and beautiful buttery flavour, shortbread is one of those biscuits that is both nostalgic and elegant. It’s right at home with a casual coffee catch up with friends, or an elegant tea party to impress!
Shortbread Cookies
We have the Scotts to thank for burly men in pleated tartan skirts, haggis and shortbread.
I’ll hold on the haggis, am undecided on men in skirts, but can never get enough shortbread!!!
Shortbread is one of the best classic cookies in the world, and it’s also one of the easiest. All you need is:
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butter
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flour
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icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Did you know that? Off you run to the kitchen! 🙂
Homemade shortbread cookies are WAY more tender and delicate than store bought – with a far better real butter flavour.
Why is it called shortbread?
These cookies are called Shortbread because the term “short” is used to describe cookies and pastries with a tender, crumbly melt-in-your-mouth texture. The same terminology is used for shortcrust pastries used in things like Quiche and Pecan Pie.
It’s considered an art to achieve this buttery delicate texture – but it’s actually REALLY EASY!
How to make Shortbread Cookies
The trick with shortbread cookies to ensure they are melt-in-your-mouth as they should be is to ensure the dough is nice and crumbly! Here’s how to make shortbread cookies:
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creamy butter, then gradually beat in icing sugar and flour
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it will be crumbly (photo #3 below), use your hands to press together to form a smooth-dish ball, don’t knead
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now press the dough into a prepared shallow pan then using something to flatten the surface
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partially bake, then remove
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prick holes and slice, then bake again – this is the best way to achieve clean cuts and ensure the holes stay.
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cool for 1 hour in oven – this will finish cooking them whilst keeping the cookies pale golden as they should be (rather than browning on edges).
Rice flour or normal flour?
You may have read that shortbread cookies should be made with a combination of rice flour and normal flour, and sometimes you see recipes with cornflour (cornstarch).
Rice flour makes the shortbread a little more tender, but having made shortbread many times over the years both with and without using this shortbread recipe, I can honestly say that the difference is barely noticeable. A shortbread recipe with a tougher dough or calling for more kneading may NEED rice flour in order to achieve the right delicate texture. This recipe does not need rice flour.
Comparison of different methods
There’s a few different ways to make shortbread cookies:
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food processor – the fastest method. Blitz butter, flour and sugar, pat into pan and bake. This yields a shortbread with signature crumby texture, but the surface is quite rough, as pictured below. People who like very crumbly shortbread and do not mind about the rough surface use this technique;
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rubber COLD butter in with fingers – this yields almost the same result as using a food processor ie very crumbly shortbread, rough surface
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creamed SOFTENED butter using a beater or wooden spoon – this is the method I use. Still a beautifully delicate, crumbly shortbread, but the surface is smoother so it looks like the shortbread cookies that we all know and love!
I use the creamed butter method rather than rubbing in cold butter in this Shortbread Cookie recipe. Smoother surface, with the perfect delicate crumbly texture.
Homemade shortbread cookies trumps Walkers!!
I purchased a packet of Walker’s shortbread cookies so I could compare them directly to this homemade Shortbread Cookie recipe.
Homemade are way more tender – no matter which method you use, with or without rice flour. The crumble is softer when you bite into it, they are more buttery.
I truly believe that Shortbread Cookies are one of the iconic cookies in this world. To think that all you need is butter, flour and sugar to make such a delectable treat is just amazing, isn’t it?
The weekend is here. I just know you’ve been good all week. You deserve a treat. Go on! 🙂 – Nagi xx
For Cookie Monsters 🙋🏻♀️
And more 3 Ingredient Desserts!
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1 ingredient Dulce de Leche – Slow Cooker Caramel
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Classic Scones – and faster Lemonade Scones – both 3 ingredients!
Watch how to make it
Shortbread Cookie recipe video! Note the part at the end re: the cookie being crumbled. This is how it should be! And PS clearly these are not my hands in this video. I had assistance!
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Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 250g / 8 oz salted butter, softened (2 x US sticks, 1 cup) (or unsalted + ¼ tsp salt)
- 3/4 cup (90g) icing sugar (powdered sugar) (Note 2)
- 2 cups (300g) plain / all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan forced / convection).
- Butter and line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13" pan with baking paper with overhang.
- Beat butter until smooth (or use very soft butter and a wooden spoon). Add icing sugar and beat until combined.
- Add half the flour and beat until mostly combined – it will resemble wet sand. Then beat in the remainder. Use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball of dough – knead lightly if required.
- Roughly press down into a rectangle shape, then transfer into the pan. Press into the pan. Optional: Roll over the top using a small rolling pin or glass (that’s what I used) for a smooth surface. Don’t press down too hard – it makes the cookies firmer
- Bake for 20 minutes until edges are very light golden and most of the surface is still pale gold.
- Remove from the oven. Working quickly, cut into desired shape (I do 8 x 3 bars, like Walker’s shortbread biscuits) and prick all over with a fork (optional).
- Return to the oven for 8 minutes or until the surface is light golden – not browned. Turn the oven off, crack it open ajar, then leave to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.
- Remove from the oven, use paper overhang to remove the biscuits from the pan. Cool fully on rack. Serve with tea!!
Recipe Notes:
* Food processor: place all the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor. Pulse 20 times, then whizz on high for 25 seconds until it forms breadcrumbs. Turn out onto work surface and proceed with recipe;
* Rubbing with fingers: Place all the flour and sugar in a bowl, then add butter. Use fingertips to rub butter into flour until it forms breadcrumbs (see video for how it should look). Turn out onto work surface and proceed with recipe. 4. HOT WEATHER WARNING! If it is super hot where you are and/or you have very hot hands with the butter rubbing method, press the dough into the pan then refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chilled. 5. PRECUTTING: To cut out into shapes before baking, it is best to add 2 tbsp flour to make a dough that won’t spread as much when baking. Then roll out into 1 cm / 2/5” thickness and cut into desired shape, place on a baking paper lined tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 150C/300F (fan forced) or 170C/340F (standard) then bake for 15 minutes until the edges are just starting to the brown but the surface is still a pale gold. 6. METHOD NOTES:
- Partial cook before cutting and pricking (if you do when fully raw, the cuts/pricks disappear when baked);
- Cutting cooked biscuit has tendency to crack surface a bit - not as neat;
- Leave the shortbread in the oven to cool. This is a tip I picked up from Cooks’ Illustrated – it allows the biscuit to finish cooking without the surface browning (shortbread cookies should be very pale).
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2017, updated March 2019 with steps photos and some housekeeping matters. No change to recipe – perfect as is!
Life of Dozer
We had a beautiful sunrise earlier this week. I didn’t get a single photo of it. But I got plenty of Dozer checking it out!!!
Wanda Proulx says
Oh yeah, had a craving for shortbread cookies. Tried this recipe and everyone loved it.
Nagi says
Awesome!!
Judith says
Great foolproof recipe. I made one lot with virtually melting butter (hot day) and the other with softened butter and apart from the too soft texture of both before cooking the texture varied very little after baking. Delicious.
Nagi says
I’m so glad you love them Judith!
Gro says
I made these for Christmas and they turned out perfect!
Nagi says
Perfect ❤️
CARMEN PERREIRA says
Love the recipes
Mama Bear says
I have always loved shortbreads cookies but this recipe will be now my “go to.”
Thank you Nagi!
Linda says
These came out perfect. My 13 year old loved them too! Great simple shortbread cookies made quick. My butter was not softened and recently read an article saying Jennifer Garner grates her butter if she does leave it out to soften. I tried this and it works! I am spontaneous when cooking and never ever think about leaving the butter out to soften! Used the largest whole side of a cheese grater tower.
Melissa says
These were a huge hit in our house! I added the zest of an orange to the dough and sprinkled sugar on the top before the second baking – only because my mum always sprinkled sugar on her shortbread 🙂
I’m not sure if it really makes that much difference in the end but just an FYI – 2 sticks of US butter is 226g not 250g.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Nagi Maehashi says
I’m so glad they were a hit Melissa!! x
Ambar Khan says
Is it possible to cut these cookies using cookie cutters or is the dough to crumbly for the cutters?
Nagi Maehashi says
Hi Ambar, see note 5 for changes if you wish to use a cutter – I hope you love them!
Flap says
From Northern California, it’s Flap again. I wanted to tell you these were nothing short of AMAZING!! And I made them! In and of itself, that feat is remarkable. The dough/batter was giving me fits because in my lttle bachelorette kitchen there’s not a huge space to store different sized mixing bowls. I settled for an over-sized Tupperware (plastic) bowl. I lost some dough to flying gobbets which somehow decorated me, the countertop and the floor. I now know that bowl wasn’t the best choice. But it all worked out well, even when the dough tore just a bit from my warm hands. I sort of pasted and molded it back together in the pan. 🙂
In spite of all that, these were wonderful. Such buttery flavor and I managed not only a beautiful, flaky texture, a pale golden top that looked just like yours and a sweetness that only shortbread can have. My friends loved them. They disappeared like magic! These will be what I make for holiday gifts. A huge hit! Thank you for your great recipes. Yours is the only food blog I follow. Best of the holiday season to you and Dozer.
Nagi Maehashi says
I’m so glad you loved them. They make a perfect holiday gift!
Mayanka Khetarpal says
I tried this recipe it’s an excellent recipe, everyone loved it.
Thank you so much 🙂
Nagi says
Great to hear you enjoyed this Mayanka! N x
Ee Ling says
This recipe is simply too awesome! And really appreciate the step-by-step tutorial video!
It tastes so superb delicious!! It’s buttery, crumbly and soft.
Thanks for selfless sharing:)
Shaki says
One of the best cookies i’ve Ever made…it was so easy..thankuu very much Nagi…
Nagi says
That’s terrific to hear Shaki! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this – N x
Amanda says
? My question is can your dough be chilled and then placed in a cookie press to make Christmas cookies?? if so would the baking time need to be altered
Amanda says
Hi, this sounds awesome. My question is, can I put flight in fridge then put it in a cookie press to make different shapes like Christmas cookies?
Zahra says
Hi, these look great! I’m new to baking, so I’d love to try these out, but I’m going to use half the recipe as I know I won’t be able to finish 24 biscuits. If I halve the recipe, and use a smaller tray, should I halve the baking time too?
Patricia says
Hi! I was wondering if I could use one of those round shortbread cookie pans for this recipe instead of the 9×13.
Thanks for sharing your recipe!!
Nagi says
Yes you sure can! 🙂 N x
Becca says
I woke up this morning wanting to bake,, but I didn’t have a ton of ingredients, so I decided to look for shortbread recipes. The wonderful comments and helpful video on your site helped me choose this recipe after looking at a few different ones from Google. Mine didn’t look as lovely as yours, but these taste awesome! Some of them have visible layers, like a pastry, which I love. I had trouble getting them on the pan in a nice rectangle, and this was likely because my baking sheet was slightly bigger than called for. I also probably didn’t let the butter soften for a long enough time. But those were my errors, not your recipe’s errors, so I’ll still be saving your recipe for next time! Thanks so much!
Nagi says
I’m so glad you the taste was still awesome Becca!! Thank you for letting me know! N x
Mary says
I have tried sooooo many different recipes for shortbread. Yours is my absolute favorite. I appreciate the explanations and variations. Thank you!
Brenda Jeffreys says
I never made shortbread before but these cookies were great. My son’s water polo team devoured them in a few minutes. I just made a a second recipe for my daughter’s. bible study. Easy recipe.
Nagi says
So glad you enjoyed this Brenda! N x ❤️
Katie says
These shortbread cookies were the best I have have found yet. They cut beautifully. I think the powdered sugar made the difference as I have always used regular sugar. They were less sweet than previous recipes, ( my daughter pointed that out) but to fix that I just sprinkled regular sugar on to before baking. Such beautiful and decadent shortbreads. These are smooth and dense cookies, just as a true shortbread should be. Thanks for the recipe. I also just blended all with my hand mixer and it literally was ready to press in the pan in about 2 minutes.
Nagi says
So glad you enjoyed this Katie! Thanks for letting me know! N x