Last updated on December 6th, 2018 at 05:19 pm
Classic Shortbread Cookies made with only takes 3 ingredients, mouthwatering, buttery and melt in your mouth delicious. A classic holiday cookie, made two ways!
Let the baking begin!
I love this time of year. I get to bake lots of cookies and share it with all my friends and family. Baking around the holidays is so nostalgic for me. I love to bake in my kitchen as I listen to Christmas music. Sometimes the same song over and over, because I have a handful of Christmas songs that I absolutely love or simply watch Christmas movies.
I got this recipe years ago from a friend of mine who got it from her mom, so I know this recipe works as it’s been made over and over again over the years. I, myself, make every single year around the holidays, multiple times and it’s one of my family’s favorite cookie recipes now.
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
These shortbread cookies are simply the best around. Your house will smell incredible, I couldn’t wait till they came out of the oven, just desperately needed to put one in my mouth as soon as possible.
These cookies are great with a glass of milk, and I personally love them with my coffee in the morning. That’s my kind of breakfast, a yummy cookie and a good cup of joe.
But let’s face it, who can have just one cookie? You need to have at least a couple cookies, and I usually do.
HOW TO MAKE SHORTBREAD COOKIES
This simple recipe for classic shortbread cookies calls for only 3 ingredients my friends, only 3 ingredients and you get to have the most delectable, buttery and sweet shortbread cookie you’ll ever have in your life. We’re talking butter, sugar and flour, that’s all!
And if you’re really brave, unlike me right now, dip them in some melted chocolate, that’s my husband’s way of eating them. Are you with me?
Or, simply drizzle some caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce, or a light dusting of powdered sugar. And dip, dip in your coffee, or tea, or even hot cocoa. I think I need to go downstairs, I have an appointment with my cookies.
Help me!
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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.
CRAVING MORE COOKIES? TRY THESE:
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Thumbprint Cookies
- Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Pecan Pie Cookies
Classic Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 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)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
- 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.
- 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 rack.
Video
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 8x8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper, and rolled the rest to use with the cookie cutter.
- This recipe will yield about 36 cookies.
- To freeze, place shortbread cookies in an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition
Originally shared Dec 3rd, 2013
These were so easy and great! Everyone is asking for the recipe. I also added 1/4 tsp. Of vanilla extract.
Yay! Happy you enjoyed them!
Hello! Merry Christmas! I would like to ask how do I make my shortbread cookies not too fragile?
Made shortbread for the first time. Followed recipe exactly as written and they are wonderful! Thank you! I will be putting these into my rotation of favorites. Now if only my husband and coworkers don’t stop me from providing too many treats!
That’s so great to hear! Merry Christmas from the Jo Cooks family to yours 🙂
Can you add cocoa powder to these? If so what amount would you suggest according to the rest of the ingredients ?
Ps. I loooove these cookies! Made them for thanksgiving and now have a batch ready for Christmas:) I added lemon and lime zests:)
I would add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder! That will be delicous.
Love, love this cookie. Taste just like Walker cookies. This is a must do for delicious, rich, buttery cookies.
An easy recipe that I halved. I also added 1tsp of grated lemon zest! Used a cute teapot cookie cutter that yielded 20 yummy cookies!
I decided to make these cookies at 9pm, but I am not a baker and didn’t have powdered sugar on hand, so i used regular sugar. I also did a couple other substitutions on the flour and they actually turned out deliciously nutty and buttery.
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup Almond flour
1 1/3 cup Hazelnut flour
1 cup regular white sugar
3 sticks salted butter
I had to do extra flour because the mix was too sticky and gooey. And I made the cookies too large, so they took longer to cook — a total of 22 minutes.
They were very crumbly at first, but once they cooled, they held their shape, and were slightly crunchy on the outside and melty and nutty and amazing!
I bet the all purpose regular flour could be replaced with GF flour and these would be delicious GF cookies!
I use the same 3 ingredients but I use brown sugar ,flour and butter and they are wonderful!!!! add to that any extra items you love 🙂
This recipe was perfect thank you
Do you have recipe for high altitudes – shortbread recipe?
This recipe should work for you, we live at 1045m (3430ft). Since shortbread requires no type of rising (yeast, baking powder/soda) your altitude won’t have much of an impact.
Perfection! This is the perfect recipe. They are a step zbove the real thing and so easy to make. I gave it a 4 star and added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract…..now a 5 star cookie. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I made these a few days ago and my daughter and husband love them. My daughter is very picky so when she asked me to make these again I was pleasantly surprised. They are so simple and very tasty.
Excellent
Thank you, great recipe
Easy
Buttery
Yummy!!
Fantastic , easy,delicious recipe ! Made Cooke cutter ones. Really enjoyed using this recipe. Would love to post a photo !?
If you have an Instagram account, post your photo and tag #jocooks!
I love it! But I do not suggest rolling it out. I had to use so much flour it kept sticking to my counter and rolling pin because there is so much butter in the recipe it was worth it but next time I’ll go to the store and buy parchment paper!
I used wax paper to roll out on the counter so I could use cookie cutter and No flour.
I sometimes roll the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper so I don’t have to add flour to the recipe. Also might help to refrigerate the dough for a while.
make sure your dough has chilled for at least an hour before rolling out. We use parchment or wax paper and it works well 🙂
The short bread is perfect for my friends wedding