Step 1

First, cut the butter up into small pieces. Place it and 1/2 cup of the caster sugar into a mixing bowl.

Step 2

Mix the sugar and butter together with the normal beaters of your electric mixer for around 5 minutes until creamy in consistency.

Step 3

Then add the flour in small increments while you continue to mix until everything is well combined. Set the mixer aside. The dough will look quite crumbly but you should be able to easily press the crumbles together with your hands so that they adhere to one another.

Step 4

Lightly grease a baking pan with approximate dimensions of 11 x 7.5 inches (slightly bigger will also work).

Step 5

Add the crumbly dough to the baking pan and lightly press it into place. You want to be gentle here since pressing too hard can affect the consistency of the shortbread and make it denser (which we don't want).

Step 6

Poke the top of the dough with a fork in even rows (approximately 1/3 deep). Then sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon of caster sugar (more or less to taste) on top of the dough.

Step 7

Place the baking pan with the dough into the fridge for 20 minutes.

Step 8

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 9

Remove the baking pan from the fridge and place it in the middle rack of your oven. Bake the shortbread for around 20-25 minutes until fully cooked and the edges just start to brown. Keep in mind, that the top of the shortbread is not supposed to brown!

Step 10

Remove the shortbread from the oven and let it cool in the pan. Once cooled, cut the shortbread into fingers and store them in an airtight container where they will last for around 2 weeks.