Shortbread
Submitted by Kelley J
Classic three-ingredient shortbread made with just butter, superfine sugar, and flour. Knead until smooth, chill, then bake low and slow for a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth Scottish-style cookie.
YIELD
1 servingPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
70 minThree ingredients. That’s all it takes to make proper shortbread.
Butter, superfine sugar, and sifted flour come together in a dough that’s kneaded until every crack disappears. That kneading is the secret. It builds just enough structure so the cookies hold their shape while staying impossibly tender and sandy on the inside.
Baked low and slow until barely golden, these shortbreads shatter at first bite and dissolve on your tongue. Cut them into rounds, wedges, or fingers, or leave the dough whole for a traditional presentation with crimped edges and fork pricks.
Pro Tips
- Use real butter, not margarine. Shortbread is essentially a butter delivery vehicle, so quality matters
- Superfine (caster) sugar dissolves faster and gives a smoother texture than granulated
- Knead each dough half for a full 5 minutes until completely crack-free for the best crumb
- Pull the cookies when they’re just barely golden. Overbaked shortbread loses its signature melt
Ingredients
Directions
Oven: 300 F for cookies; 275 F for large whole shortbread Cream butter until light. Add sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Add flour ½ cup at a time to a total of 2 cups, mixing well. Turn dough out onto a pastry board floured with the final ¼ cup flour. Knead in this last ¼ cup, then divide the dough in two and knead each until all cracks disappear (about 5 minutes). Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Roll out each piece to ⅜ inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes or leave whole and crimp edges and prick surfaces with fork. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet to slightly golden, 25 to 30 minutes for cookies and 30 to 35 minutes for whole shortbread.
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