These butter cookies have an exciting play between sugar and salt. With a buttery flavor and crumbly texture, they’re enticing and delicious.
In this recipe
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Shortbread cookie tips and tricks
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Shortbread Shortcuts
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A note on butter and salt
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Can you decorate butter cookies?
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Make Ahead Shortbread Cookies
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Butter cookies are great for freezing
Shortbread is a crunchy, crumbly butter biscuit. The centuries-old biscuit is famously Scottish but is now loved all over the world. It’s most popular around the holidays, but just as welcome dipped in a coffee on a Sunday afternoon.
These shortbread cookies have an exciting play of sugar and salt that when mixed with their buttery flavor and crumbly texture is enticing and delicious. They’re modestly beautiful on their own with tea or coffee, but can also be topped with jam, frosted, or flavored with an endless list of mix-ins.
Shortbread cookie tips and tricks
With only three essential ingredients, shortbread cookies may be one of the easiest recipes you’ll bake. However, this dough can be a little sticky, especially when warm.
- to roll it out Make sure it has been refrigerated for at least 30 minutes. If you’re worried about it sticking to your counter, you can try rolling it between two sheets of parchment paper. This is handy because it’s easy to put the dough back in the fridge if it gets too warm.
- If the dough sticks to your work surface and you are having trouble loosening the cut out cookies, use a small offset spatula or other flat spatula to gently scrape under the cookie and carefully lift it off your work surface.
Shortbread Shortcuts
If you’re worried about the dough sticking or you’re short on time, you can slice shortbread or bake pieces of shortcrust pastry in cake pans.
- For cutting and baking biscuits, gather the dough and form it into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic or parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Cut and bake cookies between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick.
- For baking shortbread wedges, you can even skip chilling the dough. Divide the batter between two parchment-lined 8-inch round cake pans and compress into an even layer. Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes. Allow the shortbread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out with the parchment. Slice the shortbread while it is still warm.
A note on butter and salt
With almost as much butter as flour, the secret to flavorful shortbread cookies is flavorful butter. For these cookies, I prefer Kerrygold European-style butter, which has a higher butterfat content and richer flavor. Look for a brand that contains at least 82% butterfat. Kerrygold is my personal favorite. To choose an alternative, you can do the math using the information on the back of the box, but many brands have started promoting this number.
The best shortbread cookies have a playful balance of salt and sweetness. They have a noticeable hint of saltiness, but they’re still essentially a sweet cookie. The amount listed in this recipe is for kosher diamond crystal salt and unsalted butter. If using Maldon, table salt, or salted butter, reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon. Finding the right balance of sweet and salty is often personal, so adjust to your own tastes.
Can you decorate butter cookies?
Sugar cookies are usually the ideal cookie for decorating, but shortbread cookies make just as good a canvas. If you prefer a crunchier butter biscuit, try shortbreads instead.
- Add sprinkles: Sprinkle some coarse sugar, granulated sugar, or sprinkles over the cookies before baking for a little extra crunch or a pop of color.
- Make glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Dip the tops of the cookies in the icing and set on a wire rack to set. You can try a lemon glaze by substituting lemon juice for the milk and lemon zest for the vanilla extract.
- Royal Icing: Take your cookie decorating to the next level with royal icing. Try some of these baking techniques for beautiful, professional-looking decorations.
Make Ahead Shortbread Cookies
When you have a busy schedule, it can be difficult to work on a baking project from start to finish. Luckily, shortbread cookies are easy to make and offer plenty of opportunities to take a break and start again later.
- Shortcrust cookie dough will keep in an airtight container for 1 week in the fridge or up to 1 month in the freezer. Thaw the dough in the fridge overnight.
- To really get going, you can freeze the unbaked, cut-out cookies on a baking sheet. You can bake them straight from the freezer, although it may take a few minutes longer.
CONTINUE READING:
Butter cookies are great for freezing
Butter cookies are great for freezing. After they’ve baked and cooled completely, place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Baked shortbread cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. To thaw, remove from the freezer bag and place on a plate or baking sheet at room temperature.
Easier cookie recipes
- Marzipan Butter Biscuits
- Lime Icebox Cookies
- Slice and bake pistachio butter cookies
- shortbread
- Ben waffles
Classic butter cookies
The specified amount of salt applies to Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If using Morton Kosher Salt or table salt, reduce the amount to 1/4 teaspoon.
ingredients
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1 cup (227G) unsalted butter (preferably European style), softened
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1/2 cup (100G) sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt
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2 cups (240G) all purpose flour
method
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Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and salt on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
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Add flour:
Add the flour and mix on low until a stiff dough forms. The batter may seem too dry at first, but keep beating, pausing halfway to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stop mixing once it comes together.
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Cool dough:
For cut out cookies: Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the cling film. Shape the dough into a disc about 1 cm thick. You can use the plastic to shape the dough without it sticking to your hands. Seal the dough in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until set, at least 30 minutes.
For slice and bake cookies: Place a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Scrape the dough out of the mixing bowl onto the cling film. Shape the dough into a roll about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. You can use the plastic to shape the dough without it sticking to your hands. Seal the dough in the plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill until set, at least 1 hour.
Simple tip!
To bake shortbread wedges, you can even do without chilling the dough. Divide the batter between two parchment-lined 8-inch round cake pans and compress into an even layer. Bake at 325°F for about 30 minutes. Allow the shortbread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it out with the parchment. Slice the shortbread while it is still warm.
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Arrange oven racks, preheat oven and prepare baking sheets:
Arrange the racks in the lower and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Cut out cookies:
For cut out cookies: Dust your work surface generously with flour. If the dough feels too stiff to roll out easily, gently press the rolling pin firmly into the dough and repeatedly tap the entire surface of the dough to make it more pliable. Roll out the dough 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick and roll in all directions from the center outwards. Lift and twist a little every few draws, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Cut out cookies with a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. The leftovers can be collected a few more times to roll and cut out more cookies.
For slice and bake cookies: Use a sharp knife to cut cookies about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
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Bake:
Bake the cookies until they begin to turn light golden on the bottom and edges, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The center of the cookies should look matte and be dry to the touch. Baking time will depend on how thick the cookies are. Larger cookies may require more time, start with an extra 5 minutes.
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Cool down and enjoy:
Let the cookies cool on the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Shortbread cookies can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to 1 week. It’s hard to believe they’re getting better, but the buttery flavor actually improves over time.
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| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 121 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 12g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
