Shortbread Recipe

How to Make Shortbread (Easy Scottish Recipe)

Classic and authentic Scottish Shortbread recipe containing only three ingredients: flour, butter and sugar.

Prep: 10min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1

Nutrition Facts: calories 275 calories, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 41 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 16 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 3 grams protein, Saturated Fat 10 grams saturated fat, servingSize 1, Sodium 122 milligrams sodium, Sugar 9 grams sugar, Trans Fat 1 grams trans fat, unSaturated Fat 5 grams unsaturated fat

Ingredients:

• 340 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 113 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 227 g salted butter (2 sticks) softened (you can use unsalted, which is the norm for baking, but add a good pinch of salt)
• (extra sugar to sprinkle on top)

Instruction:

1. Mix all the ingredients together by hand or mixer, to a stiff consistency (the butter shouldn’t be too soft, but also not straight from the fridge, especially if you use a mixer). Don’t overwork the dough; stop when it just comes together
2. Roll out into the shape of a pan or tin you want to bake them in. I baked this in an 8 x 8 pan. Trim the edges to the approximate size.
3. FINGERS: Place it in the pan of your choice. One mistake many people make is rolling the shortbread too thin. Proper shortbread should be quite thick (no less than 3/4″ or 2cm if making fingers). Tip: make sure your fingers are wide enough that a fork can prick them. Use a bench scraper or knife to cut the dough into fingers. Next, prick the shortbread with a fork, about half way through.
4. ROUND: You can also shape the dough into a ball, roll it out into a round, and score into triangles, then prick with a fork.
5. MOULD: (brush the mold with a little oil, and sugar first to ensure it comes out nicely). Roll out the dough, place over the mould and roll again to press into it. Remove the excess dough then turn out onto a tray. If your shortbread mould doesn’t have a pretty design, prick it with a fork
6. Place in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly brown on edges. Sprinkle with sugar immediately upon removing from the oven. Shortbread shouldn’t be darkly colored. Let your shortbread cool on or in the pan or tray before moving to rack to cool completely.

Traditional Shortbread Recipe

The secret of shortbread’s buttery crumb lies in its simplicity. This traditional shortbread recipe is a simple blend of butter, sugar, and flour resulting in a taste far more than the sum of its parts. Ted Lasso worthy!

Prep: 15min

Total: 170min

Yield: 30

Serving Size: 1 shortbread finger

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 shortbread finger, calories 102 kcal, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 1 g, Fat 6 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 16 mg, Sodium 11 mg, Sugar 3 g, Trans Fat 0.2 g, Fiber 0.2 g, unSaturated Fat 2.3 g

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks; I love using Irish butter like Kerrygold, softened (you may use salted butter, but omit the salt))
• 1/2 cup cane sugar (I use all natural pure cane sugar, white or bakers sugar may be substituted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (try other extracts as well, like Almond or orange, but use just a fraction)
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch (I use a non-GMO cornstarch)
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt (omit if using salted butter)
• all natural or sanding sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Instruction:

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well about 2-3 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
2. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt whisking to mix; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed after each addition. (Mixture will be stiff and may be crumbly)
3. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 8-10 times.
4. Press dough into an un-greased 11×7 or 9×9 pan (if doubling, use a 15×10 in jellyroll pan, parchment lined if desired for easier removal).
5. Prick dough at 1-inch intervals with a fork, and score (cut) into 2 ½ x 1-inch bars. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Make sure to chill, this will firm the butterfat back up and provide that delectable light, crisp crumb you get with Scottish Shortbread. If desired, sprinkle with all-natural sugar or sanding sugar before baking.
6. Bake at 325° F (162° C) for 35 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Do not over bake! Cookies should be just lightly golden at the edges, baking too long will make them dry. Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes; cut the shortbread into bars using previously scored lines. Cool completely before removing from the pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 6 months. This recipe easily doubles!

Shortbread Cookies

Ina Garten’s classic chocolate-dipped Shortbread Cookies are the perfect sweet treat, from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network. With over 500 reviews, they’re sure to please.

Prep: 0 15min0

Total: 0 1h15min0

Yield: 20 cookies

Serving Size: 1 of 20 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 20 servings, calories 285, Fat 17g, Saturated Fat 10g, Carbohydrate 33g, Fiber 1g, Sugar 15g, Protein 3g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 33mg

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 to 7 ounces very good semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instruction:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don’t trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it’s completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
5. Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.

Easy and Delicious Shortbread Cookies