The Perfect Shortbread Cookies
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These Shortbread Cookies are made with only 3 ingredients. They’re incredibly mouthwatering, buttery and melt in your mouth delicious. A classic holiday cookie, made two ways!
The Perfect Christmas Cookies
Shortbread cookies are a Christmas favorite, I don’t know a single person who doesn’t love these cookies. Not only are they great at Christmas time, but I love them year round because they’re so simple to make, not to mention perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
I don’t think there’s another cookie that’s more popular than this one around the holidays. They’re incredibly delicious with a wonderfully flaky and crumbly texture, shockingly easy to make and utterly buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Why You’ll Love These Shortbread Cookies
- ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS – Yes, you read that right, these cookies require only 3 ingredients; flour, butter and icing sugar. Ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
- UNBELIEVABLY EASY TO MAKE – For such a delicious cookie, you’d think there’s a lot of work required to make them. I’m here to prove you wrong. I’ll show you 3 different ways you can make the dough and 2 different ways to shape them.
- PERFECT GIFTS – It’s true that when November starts, I go into baking mode. I start baking all sort of cookies, these being a favorite among all and freeze them until Christmas. I then box them up nicely and gift them to my friends and family. Let’s just say that everyone loves them!
- Butter – You’ll need salted butter that’s at room temperature. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour to bring the butter to room temperature, so make sure you give yourself enough time. If you don’t have salted butter, unsalted butter will also work, simply add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough. The reason the salt is needed is because salt brings out the flavor in the cookies, without it, your cookies will taste bland.
- Icing Sugar – Icing sugar is the same as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar. The reason powdered sugar is used is because you’ll get a softer texture in your cookie, a delicate melt-in-your-mouth cookie. For a different version using brown sugar, try my brown sugar Scottish shortbread cookies.
- Flour – You’ll need to use all-purpose flour in these cookies to absorb the moisture of the butter, drying the dough. Without flour we’d just have a buttercream frosting.
As I mentioned, these cookies are incredibly easy to make. I also told you there are 3 ways you can make these cookies.
First add the flour and icing sugar to your food processor and pulse a couple times until combined. Next you’ll need to cut up the butter in smaller pieces and add it to the food processor. All you have to do now is pulse it until the dough comes together. Same idea as making pie crust.
You can use a stand mixer or a hand held mixer. To do so, add the butter to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix it until smooth with your mixer set at medium speed for about 30 seconds. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment.
Next, you’ll want to add the icing sugar and continue mixing until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine thoroughly.
Finally, add the flour and mix at low speed until well blended. The mixture will be crumbled and soft.
Our hands are our best tools. First, you’ll have to add the flour and icing sugar in a bowl and whisk it until combined using a whisk.
Next, add the butter cubes to the bowl. Since your butter is at room temperature, you can start by using a fork to mix in the butter with the flour and sugar. Once the butter is mostly mixed in, you can use your hands to continue kneading the mixture until it’s evenly blended and the dough comes together.
First, you’ll need a well floured work surface. Transfer the cookie dough the floured surface and knead it a couple times so that it comes together, but don’t overwork it. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it’s about 1/4 of an inch in thickness.
Next, you’ll need a cookie cutter. I have a really cute shortbread cookie cutter that I use, but you can use your favorite cookie cutter. Cut the cookies with the cookie cutter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
This method is by far the easiest and doesn’t require any fancy cookie cutters or rolling pins. First, you’ll need to prep your baking pan by lining it with parchment paper, with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out the cookies.
Next, dump the cookie dough in to prepared baking pan and pat it down using your hands or a plastic spatula, until it’s even.
Whether you make the cookies this way, or use a cookie cutter, if you want them to be pretty, you’ll want to use a fork or a toothpick to score them or make your favorite pattern. This not only will it make your cookies look pretty, but it helps for even baking.
Most of the work is done by now. All you have to do is bake them and eat them! You’ll want to first preheat your oven to 325°F. Transfer the cookie sheet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just done (slightly golden in color). Do not let them get brown. Remove the baking sheet or pan from the oven. If using a cookie sheet, lift out the cookies from the sheet using the parchment paper and cut into desired shapes immediately. Finish cooling the cookies on a wire rack.
These cookies are great if you want to ice them and decorate them festively or simply dip them half way in melted chocolate. They’re incredible!
How Do I Know When My Shortbread Cookies Are Done
You’ll know your cookies are done baking when they start to slightly turn brown at the bottom, then is the time to remove them from the oven. If you like your shortbread crunchier, go ahead and leave them in for a couple more minutes, but don’t forget that cookies continue to cook while on the baking sheet after you take them out of the oven.
Troubleshooting Shortbread Cookie Dough
If you run into any trouble with this shortbread dough, it’s probably going to be that the dough is too dry. This is especially true if you live in a dryer climate, as I do. If that’s the case, don’t throw out the dough, it’s really easy to remedy the problem.
All you have to do is crumble up the dough again in a bowl if you had rolled it out. Beat an egg and in a measuring cup or something you can easily pour from. Pour a little bit of the egg, start with a tablespoon at a time and mix it in to the dough until the dough comes together. Usually just that extra little bit of moisture will do the trick.
If you have the opposite problem, and the dough is too sticky, simply add a bit more flour, again start small and work your way from there.
Do I Have To Chill The Dough?
No, you don’t have to. If you wanted to slice these cookies by rolling them into a log first, then I would recommend forming the log, wrapping up in plastic wrap and chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the butter to solidify again, therefore setting the dough and making it easier to cut into slices.
You can also chill the dough if not making the cookies right away. You can refrigerate the dough overnight or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Can You Freeze Shortbread Cookies
Yes, absolutely! These cookies freeze incredibly well. To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- If you don’t have salted butter, you’ll have to add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to the cookie dough, otherwise your cookies will taste really bland.
- Bake your cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one cookie sheet at a time, for even baking.
- Traditionally shortbread cookies are very pale in color, you don’t want them golden brown. In order to do this, we have to use a low oven temperature, which is why we bake these cookies at 325°F.
- Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it’s meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking.
- Notice I’m using powdered sugar here. You’ll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar. Because I’m using powdered sugar, there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar for a long time, plus it gives us extra buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookies. If you only have granulated sugar, you can still use it, just make sure you mix it with the butter for as long as 10 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
Other Delicious Cookie Recipes To Try
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
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Shortbread Cookies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups butter (salted and softened at room temperature (3 sticks or 12 oz))
- 1 cup icing sugar (same as confectioner sugar or powdered sugar (4.4 oz))
- 3 cups all-purpose flour ((13.2 oz))
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Add the butter to a large bowl and blend it until smooth using an electric mixer set at medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Add the icing sugar and continue mixing until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and combine thoroughly.
- Add flour and mix at low speed until well blended. The mixture will be crumbled and soft.
- Pat dough into an ungreased cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper, with the parchment paper hanging off the sides to make it easy to lift out the cookies. Alternatively you can roll out the dough so that it's about 1/4 of an inch in thickness, you can knead it a bit just so that the dough comes together, but don't overwork it, then cut into your desired shape. Pierce the shortbread with a fork.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until just done (slightly golden in color). Do not let them get brown. Remove from the oven. If using a cookie sheet, lift out the cookies from the sheet using the parchment paper and cut into desired shapes. Finish cooling the cookies on a cooling rack.
Equipment
Notes
- Because I’m using salted butter there’s no need to add salt to the recipe, if you only have unsalted butter, add about 1/4 tsp salt to the recipe.
- I used this shortbread cookie cutter.
- For the video I divided the dough in half and used one half in an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper, and rolled the rest to use with the cookie cutter.
- This recipe will yield about 36 cookies.
- Bake your cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one cookie sheet at a time, for even baking.
- Traditionally shortbread cookies are very pale in color, you don’t want them golden brown. In order to do this, we have to use a low oven temperature, which is why we bake these cookies at 325°F.
- Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it’s meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking.
- Notice I’m using powdered sugar here. You’ll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar. Because I’m using powdered sugar, there’s no need to cream the butter and sugar for a long time, plus it gives us extra buttery, melt-in-your mouth cookies. If you only have granulated sugar, you can still use it, just make sure you mix it with the butter for as long as 10 minutes, until creamy and smooth.
- To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
My cookies Are crumbly. What did I do wrong? I made them in the food processor.
It’s common for shortbread cookies to be a bit crumbly due to their high butter content. However, if they’re falling apart too much, it could be due to over-processing the dough in the food processor. This can heat up the butter and cause the dough to be less cohesive. Another reason might be not enough mixing after adding the flour. Try pulsing just until the dough begins to come together next time. Hope this helps!
OMG! It’s 6:40 am Saturday morning and I decided I needed something sweet after being up all night. The only ‘baking’ ingredients I have are flour, butter and confectioners sugar. So that’s what I googled and this recipe came up! Reading through, I love the directions that give options! I don’t have a rolling pin, barely even have a counter top. This is absolutely amazing and I’m making them soon as my butter melts! Thank you
Hope you like them!
They had a great flavor. I’ll definitely make them again, with some tweaks, because they were softer than I’d like. They didn’t crisp up at all. I even left them in for a bit longer than the recipe called for. I’m thinking maybe more butter? I’ll play with the ratio
If I wanted to press all of the dough into a cookie sheet (instead of just half as done for this post), what size cookie sheet should I use to get 1/4 “ cookies?
I think a 9×13 inch baking pan would suffice.
I just made this shortbread and it is absolutely delicious. The video and instructions were great however, my cookies didn’t get crisp at all. They are not soggy or greasy and the correct color but are softer than they should be. Any idea what I did wrong?
You could bake them a minute or so longer, but they will continue to cook as they cool, so give them a chance, they will crisp up.
Awesome Recipe! I added some lemon zest and dried lavendercame out delicious!
Delicious and so super easy!! I did cook mine for a tad longer but mine were a bit thicker as well. So good!
Foolish question. I’m trying to reduce my sugar intake, so can I replace the sugar with part or all allulose. It has the same texture as confectioner’s sugar.
I’m not sure, never tried it myself. I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with that sugar.
Absolutely easy and awesome!!!! Thank you
These were great! I’ve been looking for a long time for a good shortbread cookie recipe and these are a keeper! What I like is that they are not overly “sweet” so when I decorate them, the frosting gives them a nice sweetness without being too much.
I misplaced my recipe for shortbread, which is exactly the same as yours, I just could not remember the quantities, thank goodness I found your site! They are fantastic, just as I remember. I have made many different versions of shortbread but always come back to this tried and true recipe, highly recommended, to all you shortbread lovers out there, cheers. Just a cooking note, I live in Ecuador where the temperature at this time of the year is 28C, no AC in my Kitchen, so I pop the cookie tray into the freeze to firm them up before putting the in the oven!
Great recipe, quick and easy!
Is this plain flour.
Yes!
Hi Jo. I’ve made shortbread for years (always use confectioner’s sugar). Your site here, instructions, comments, suggestions and tips are superb. You’ve shown how easy (and scrumptious) shortbread is. Your tip on putting the entire layer inside a square pan and cut into finger sizes was super helpful for me. Everyone reading, her recipe and instructions are the best!
Thank you, Bonnie, so glad you’re enjoying my recipes.
How much gf flour would you need? Plus the proportion of all the different kinds that make up an all purpose gf flour.
I’m not sure, I’m not an expert on gluten free recipes, but you can try using 1-to-1 gluten-free flour that has xanthan gum in it and see if that works.
Can I use baking butter? (High fat content margarine).
I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t be sure, but I don’t really see why you couldn’t.