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:
butter
flour
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:
creamy butter, then gradually beat in icing sugar and flour
it will be crumbly (photo #3 below), use your hands to press together to form a smooth-dish ball, don’t knead
now press the dough into a prepared shallow pan then using something to flatten the surface
partially bake, then remove
prick holes and slice, then bake again – this is the best way to achieve clean cuts and ensure the holes stay.
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:
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;
rubber COLD butter in with fingers – this yields almost the same result as using a food processor ie very crumbly shortbread, rough surface
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!
1 ingredient Dulce de Leche – Slow Cooker Caramel
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!!!
Hi Nagi
I would like to make theses now for Christmas as they sound and look delicious. Can you tell me how you defrost them ? Do I need to cook them again
Thank you
Karin
Hi Karin! I just defrost in an airtight container on the counter 🙂 Nope they do not need to be cooked again! N x
I loved these cookies! I was very nervous when making them, because the dough looked waaaay too runny. Adding more flour and even half an hour in the fridge didn’t help, so I was afraid I was doing something wrong. But, in the end, they turned out wonderful! Took me a bit longer to bake than expected, but once they cooled down, we couldn’t stop stuffing our faces with them! 😂
Do you have any idea why the dough could turn out so runny? Could the butter have been too soft? Or does it have anything to do with the sugar (I was short on powdered sugar, so had to substitute part of it with regular one)? Would truly appreciate your opinion!
Bottom line: love this recipe. It’s beautiful in its simplicity. Can’t wait to use it again!
I think regular sugar might be the problem. At least if you’re substituting for American powdered sugar, which also contains cornstarch, a thickener.
Hi Nagle
This is almost like my Aunts recipe except for using powdered sugar. She used regular and we made little pies and cut wedges with the fork marks. Yours is definitely easier and they taste delicious. Sure everyone loves shortbread.
Dozer is so cute, I had German Shepherd who was a cookie lover to.
I love hearing that Sandy! I like using powdered sugar because the cookies come out with a slightly smoother surface 🙂 But the flavour is basically the same! N xx
Oh how I lovvve shortbread! And never thought it was easy until I saw your video – you make everything look easy Nagi!!
It is so easy! So so easy! 🙂 N xx
Really enjoyed your writing in this one and the memories of corporate meetings. Although in the States here they are always ice cold. Management must have wanted us all ALERT and teeth chattering. I will be making these and maybe adding a little cocoa powder in mine. #Chocoholic 🙂
Oooh – can you believe I’ve never tried chocolate ones?? I’m MAD! Tell me how much cocoa you use 🙂 N xx
YUMI! Love your thinking, butter, butter always tastes better. When I’m buying ricotta, feta cheese they would say full cream or- Me interrupting there is No Or , Full cream, the fater the better… Than they all laugh.! I want to taste what I’m eating. Thanks Nagy, PS have you tested on Dozer to see how does he like butter cookies…ha, ha.!
Oh Vera, you know full well that Dozer was under the table, salivating as he waited for his little tidbit…… 😂
Hi Nagi,
I don’t know why I can not read the recipe. The letters are cut in less than half, I would love to make these. My husband and I love shortbread cookies and I love all of your recipes. Is there another place that I can get this recipe. I don’t always have this problem, this is the second time. You got back with me promptly and fixed my problem. Thank you so much for sharing.
How odd! All I can think is that the page isn’t loading properly, could be internet speed. DO you want me to email the recipe to you as an attachment? 🙂 N xx
Nagi, I’ve just made these and they are magnificent. I have to ask – are these your hands? They look….. less baby-like?
BA HA HA!!!! You are absolutely RIGHT, I have someone come in every now and then to help me, it has changed my life. Doing videos by myself was killing me! So pleased you enjoyed these Tracey, I made so many to test out the different ways and make sure I was 100% happy with them. 🙂 N xx
This recipe looks so delicious Nagi! I love, love, love shortbread cookies. And you’re right, homemade is always best. I was laughing reading your description of coffee + treats in boardrooms. I too don’t miss those days. Although, I always found the rooms uncomfortably cold, not uncomfortably hot! But that might be the difference between Canada and Aus?
WOAH! Wait – you’ve LEFT CORPORATE???!!! N xx
National- my spouse loves these so much, and they are so easy to make, she says she’ll have to invent a shortbread diet (LOL). They really are wonderful. We made them in my old MixMaster, and they were very fine texture. And we used 2 sticks of butter,powdered sugar and all purpose flour. She pressed them in a glass pan we generously sprayed with “Pam” cooking spray rather than paper. Cooked thick and added extra time to the one you gave…. A- mazing.
Love to Dozer
That’s so wonderful to hear Andrea! Thanks for letting me know – N xx PS Dozer says WOOF back!
Do you use pure icing sugar or icing mixture ? Or could I use either one?
Hi Sue! Good question, I used soft but pure also works. I will update the recipe. Thank you!
I’m glad that more and more recipes are including gram weights on ingredients, flour especially. However, there is a range of weight on one cup of flour; I’ve been using 120gm per cup of flour and I see that you are using 150gm per cup, which I have also seen on other websites. That would surely make a difference in the final product, especially when there are only three ingredients. I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on this one…..
Hi Joanne! Yes you are correct – 1 US cup is 120g, 1 Aussie / rest of world cup is 150g standard. With this recipe the assumption is that if you use American sticks / ounces for the butter, you use US cups. But even if you don’t – and I have made it with 226g butter which is 2 US sticks, less than the 250g stated, with the 300g flour stated, it still worked out just fine. This is a pretty forgiving recipe – not like some where you must measure everything to the gram! 🙂 N xx
Oh my gosh Nagi, I have been following your recipes for about 8 or so months and have made many many of them and enjoyed many many of them!!!!……BUT……this one is over the top delicious and easy!!!! I’m not a big poster of comments but I could not resist letting you and your followers know. Thank you for so many recipes that a regular person can actually make with regular ingredients! Your pictures and instructions are great!!!! Dozer is pretty awesome too!!
Thank you!! Linda
Oh WOW! You tried this already?? Wow WOW! Thank you for trying my recipes, I’m so pleased you enjoy them – and Dozer! N xx
Wow! I can’t wait to try these. Thanks again N. You are the best. I just love short bread cookies.
You’re welcome Nacho! Hope you love! N xx
Have you ever tried adding a pinch of nutmeg for flavor, you will never go back. What about adding lemon zest or orange zest,, yummy, try and enjoy
Ooh YES to any kind of citrus zest! N xx
You must have read my mind. I’ve been looking at shortbread recipes lately. I also hoped to find a lemon shortbread cookie recipe, too. Can’t wait to try this one out. All of your recipes have worked out great so far.
P.S. The time difference always catches me by surprise. It’s only August 4th here.
Cheers!!
Us Aussies – ahead in time zone but always behind on fashion trends it seems! 😂 I’m totally cool with that 😁
Hi, Nagi. My daughter loves shortbread cookies! I will try your version as I’m curious to try your tip about slicing them before it’s fully baked. Thank you for sharing it!
P.S. I watched the recipe video before I read the note about the “new pair of hands”. I had to check again if I was watching the correct video, haha.😀
BA HA HA! I know, right?? I LOVE her pretty hands! 😂
Shortbread has always been a favorite of mine. I have my grandma McGowan’s recipe for “Scottish shortbread”. It is very similar to yours, although it uses superfine (bakers) granulated sugar instead of the confectioner’s – no corn starch. The trick is to cream it with the butter until fully incorporated (no graininess — thank heaven for the kitchen aid mixer!) They are sinfully tender and melt in your mouth. I will have to try your trick of leaving them in the oven to cool to finish cooking without browning — that has always been the big dilemma.
I bet they are sinfully tender!!! Melt in your mouth is exactly how it should be. I bet your grandma’s recipe is wonderful! N xx
Hi Nagi. I like a lot of cookies, but shortbread cookies have always been my favorite. I use the mixer method I do gently roll them out. I have a shortbread cookie cutter, it cuts three 3X1″ cookies at a time. I’ll definitely be making these very soon! Years ago G would buy Walker’s Shortbread for me, but then I starting making my own and I do agree, homemade are SO much better.
3 cookie cutter! That’s SO COOL! I want! N xx
I love shortbread cookies and make them every Christmas for sure. I will be trying your recipe this year!
I also noticed on the first note, that I think you meant to say ‘swap out 1/4 cup of flour for rice flour’ not cornstarch, right?
GAH! Thank you Mary! 🙂 N xx
Hi, You can swap with either rice or cornflour the finish will be just as tasty. I’m english so I bake shortbread all the time when the family want homemade biscuits. This is a good recipe Nagi has given us, enjoy.