scottish shortbread

A rich, buttery Scottish shortbread from the pages of Nana Ling&#039;s handwritten recipe book - dated 1941.

Traditional Scottish Shortbread

flour

rice flour

baking powder

butter

sugar

Put sugar, butter and sifted flours and baking powder in separate piles on a clean surface.

Knead butter and sugar together.

Gradually draw in the flour, kneading well.

When the mixture is a stiff paste, break into two pieces.

Roll out each piece into a circle that's a little over 1 cm (or 1/2 inch) thick.

Pinch edges and dust with a little extra sugar on top.

Bake in a slow oven until golden. (I bake mine in a fan-forced oven at 140 degrees celsius for about 35 minutes.)

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An old-fashioned recipe for traditional Scottish Shortbread. Dated 1941.

Scottish Shortbread

With only 4 ingredients, these easy, buttery, shortbread cookies are one of the best examples ever of simple perfection.

salted butter

tbsp vanilla extract

Cream the butter and sugar very well until...

Cream the butter and sugar very well until light colored and fluffy.

Beat in the vanilla extract.

Fold in the flour until a soft dough...

Fold in the flour until a soft dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

Roll in balls and flatten with the bottom...

Roll in balls and flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour or roll out and cut into shapes as desired.

Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes until edges...

Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes until edges are golden brown. Allow longer baking time if you are baking the large rectangles of dough to be cut in fingers.

These are simple perfection as they are but...

These are simple perfection as they are but are also fantastic dipped in melted chocolate.

See note for further instructions on shortbread fingers...

See note for further instructions on shortbread fingers as shown.

Scottish Shortbread Cookies are blissfully delicious. Made from just a few ingredients, these soft and moist yet ultra crumbly cookies are the perfect dessert that goes great with a warm drink!

all-purpose flour

+ 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar (see notes)

First, cut the butter up into small pieces....

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

Mix the sugar and butter together with the...

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

Then add the flour in small increments while...

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.

Lightly grease a baking pan with approximate dimensions...

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

Add the crumbly dough to the baking pan...

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).

Poke the top of the dough with a...

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.

Place the baking pan with the dough into...

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

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

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

Remove the baking pan from the fridge and...

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!

Remove the shortbread from the oven and let...

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.

Scottish shortbread is that classic crisp, buttery, and not-too-sweet biscuit everyone loves. They&#039;re a must-make around the holidays, and taste great anytime with a cup of tea. With just four basic ingredients, they&#039;re as simple as it gets yet completely irresistible!

salted butter (at room temperature)

brown sugar

cream butter

Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, cream the butter and sugars until they&#39;re light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

add flour

Add the flour then beat on low speed until it&#39;s mostly incorporated then increase the speed to medium and beat until the flour is mixed into the butter.

roll dough

Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper that is larger than 10&quot;x16&quot;. Put the dough on the parchment paper and form it into a rectangle. Then, roll the dough until it is 10&quot;x16&quot;.

cut dough

Cut the dough into strips that are 1-inch wide by 2 ½-inches long - see notes. Use a fork to poke holes into the tops of all the cookies. Use the parchment paper to transfer the cookies to a baking sheet then put them into your fridge for at least 1 hour.

add to baking sheet

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Remove the cookies from the fridge and separate them into individual cookies. Put them onto a baking sheet, spacing them 1-inch apart.

bake

Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes, until they are light golden brown. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet.

How to make perfect Scottish Shortbread, only 4 ingredients this is one of the easiest dessert recipes around. Easy to double or triple so a perfect dessert for a crowd. Brown Butter Shortbread is perfect for a party or cuddled up with tea!

Brown Butter Shortbread

469 Grams (3 3/4 Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour

175 Grams (Scant 1 Cup) Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar

Salt

Sugar,

Preheat oven to 350F/180C and get a 9"X13" pan out- no need to grease it.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a regular medium-sized bowl add the flour, butter, sugar, and salt. Mix on low/medium speed until the butter is mixed in and pea-size pieces of butter are left OR mix by using your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. If you grab a handful of the dough you should be able to squeeze it in your hand into one piece.

Transfer the dough to the pan and press down evenly. Use a rolling pin or glass to roll the shortbread dough to ensure it's tightly in the pan. Using a butter knife score the shortbread, basically marking the shortbread - you are not cutting all the way through, into whichever size pieces you want. Scoring up, down, and across. Prick all over with a fork. If your fork sticks and pulls some of the shortbread up then gently use your clean finger next to the fork as you press down to kind of hold the shortbread in place.

Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown on edges. Once baked cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top and shake pan side to side to distribute evenly. Cut on the previously scored marks and store them in an airtight container. Last for up to a week.

I made these and dipped them in chocolate, and wow. soooooo good!

I will be honest. The day I made these and ate one, I wasn't in love. BUT I froze a bunch and took a bunch to work the next day. I received comments later from everyone who had one, and they raved. So I went home and ate another, and it was perfect! They are possibly even better after being thawed from the freezer. This recipe is a keeper!!

I live in a dry climate, so I may have to adjust the recipe to add moisture. I think browning the butter removes all the water, and when mixed with bone dry flour, the mixture just turned into a greasy flour paste that never baked/set into a cookie. I make traditional butter shortbread all the time and wanted to try a browned butter version, but these just didn't work for me. The flavor was amazing, but alas they never turned into shortbread. I even tried baking a batch much longer than the recipe calls for and cooled for a couple hours. Still just flour paste. I may try it again after the holidays and add some drops of moisture to activate the gluten in the flour.

I used European style, unsalted butter (as per another site about butter browning), and since I used a Pampered Chef stone pan for baking, I had to leave it in the oven nearly 30 minutes.  But they turned out perfectly.  They were slight crumbly when warm but today seem less so.  My husband says they are absolutely delectable.

These buttery shortbread cookies are as easy to make as 1, 2, 3.

Shortbread Cookie Recipe

all purpose flour

powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 350 º F and...

Preheat the oven to 350 º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream...

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy.

Mix in the flour until the dough starts...

Mix in the flour until the dough starts to come together.

Place the dough out onto a counter that...

Place the dough out onto a counter that has been dusted with powdered sugar and gently roll the dough into a log about 2 x 2 inches in size.

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and...

Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and allow it to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove and slice the cookies into 1/2 inch...

Remove and slice the cookies into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place on your baking mat and cook for 16-18 minutes or until just golden around the edges.

Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to...

Allow to cool slightly and then transfer to a baking rack.

Optional: Dust with powdered sugar

Once cool the cookies can be stored in...

Once cool the cookies can be stored in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

You can also freeze the cookies for up...

You can also freeze the cookies for up to 3 months.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/ls9k35fixc1z6saniyla.mp4

National Shortbread Day - Learn how to make Shortbread Cookies from Scratch

The best and easiest recipe for making classic Scottish shortbread cookies, perfect for customizing with your favorite extra goodies!

Scottish Shortbread Recipe

salted butter (softened (1 pound))

brown sugar (packed)

vanilla extract (optional)

Fleur de Sel

Vanilla extract is a solution containing the flavor compound vanillin as the primary ingredient. Pure vanilla extract is made by macerating and percolating vanilla pods in a solution of ethyl alcohol and water. In the United States, in order for a vanilla extract to be called pure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that...

vanilla bean extract

Set out an electric stand mixer. Add the softened butter and brown sugar. Cream on high until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. (Don’t skimp on the time!)

Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula, then turn the mixer on low. Add the vanilla extract, then slowly add in the flour. Once combined, turn off the mixer as to no over-mix the dough.

Press the dough into a rectangle and wrap well in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Thoroughly flour a clean work surface. Place the dough in the center of the floured area and roll it out into an even sheet, ½ inch thick. Use as much flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.

Use a large chef’s knife (or pizza cutter) to cut the shortbread dough into 2 ½ X 1 inch pieces. Carefully move the pieces to the baking sheets, spreading them 1 ½ inches apart.

Use a fork to poke holes over the surface of each cookie. This helps release steam so the cookies hold their shape better.

Bake for 20-22 minutes, until golden around the edges. Sprinkle the top of each cookie with Fleur de Sel while they are still warm. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving.

Cookies were delicious. I liked that they were not loaded with sugar. Mine were not too beautiful, but I will get better.
A winner!

This recipe is a lovely shortbread. The only adjustment I made was to double the vanilla. As for execution. I rolled the shortbread out and laid it in my cookie sheet and scored it into fingers, Then docked it. Then put in fridge as recommended. It was easier to roll out soft than would have been right out of the refrigerator. After baking, I let it cool for a few minutes, but while still warm cut through the fingers along the scored lines. When completely cool I was able to transfer. I Love the brown sugar in these. Adds a wonderful flavor. So many recipes call for confectioners sugar, which I do not like. I think being very cold and going into the oven really made a difference in the structure and flakiness of these shortbread. Will be doing this again. Thank you.

I absolutely LOVED this shortbread recipe!!! There’s this one place where I live that makes the best shortbread and nothing has ever gotten close to it. I’ve also tried to recreate it, but I was very unsuccessful, until now… This recipe makes shortbread that is even better!!! 

The shortbread is buttery and crisp and the brown sugar! The brown sugar is a must!!! It gives the biscuit a gorgeous caramel flavor as well as the little chewiness. 

Absolutely fantastic!!! Definitely adding it to my annual Christmas cookie bake list!

Delicious! My sister said it was the best cookie she ever ate!

I really enjoyed the ease of this process and the flavor and texture of the shortbread. I think my tastes skew a little sweeter, so I added about 2T white sugar (didn't want to add more brown out of fear the cookies would be chewy).  I used Kerrygold. I will definitely use this recipe again, with added sugar for a hair more sweetness.

Truly wonderful, best shortbread I've had with the easiest recipe. Truly a winner!!! Also, I halved the recipe and the half makes exactly one oven tray which was convenient.  Hope more people find and try this recipe, soooooo worth it. They are chewy yet short and buttery all at the same time.

I had an idea while reading over the recipe, my favorite flavor is almond, I love the taste of it in or on all my sweets, yeah,I know, just a little bit obessive, but anyone who loves this flavor like I do would surely agree with me.  how about maybe just mixing in a couple of drops for some added taste?  I think I just might try it to see how it comes out.  I don't think it would hurt much and who knows maybe it will be a hit.  Just wanted to get your feedback on my brilliant idea.  Regards and stay safe.

This so amazing! My kids loved these cookies!

These are going on my holiday cookie tray! Yum.

These are such an amazing shortbread cookie! 

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/70FilORO.mp4

Scottish Shortbread Cookies - By far the best and easiest recipe for making traditional buttery shortbread cookies from scratch, perfect for customizing with your favorite extra goodies!

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Scottish Shortbread

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Top 7 scottish shortbread recipes from across the web

The most viewed scottish shortbread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Traditional Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread

Scottish Shortbread

Brown Butter Shortbread

Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Scottish Shortbread Recipe

The most viewed scottish shortbread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine