Shortbread Cookie Recipe – Sugar Spun Run

My shortbread cookie recipe makes tender, buttery, traditional shortbread cookies that maintain their form within the oven and soften in your mouth. Dipping in chocolate is non-compulsory, however extremely really useful! Recipe features a how-to video!

The Greatest Shortbread Cookie Recipe

I’m very excited to be sharing my up to date shortbread cookie recipe with you at present! Whereas I loved the unique for years, my previous model began to really feel extra like a sugar cookie. I wished to make some tweaks for extra tender, gentle, and melt-in-your-mouth outcomes that also held their form superbly. That is true, traditional, perfected shortbread.

Why Attempt This Recipe

• They’re a traditional. Everybody ought to have a superb staple shortbread recipe of their repertoire, and now, that is mine. No, it’s not tremendous flashy, however it’s a traditional and it’s a superb, stable recipe.
• It’s easy. Shortbread makes use of solely 6 substances and comes collectively rapidly with only a transient stint within the fridge. No, it’s not as flashy as praline cookies or apple pie cookies, however that’s the character of shortbread.
• It tastes good! It has a buttery taste and a texture that barely crumbles beneath your tooth and completely melts in your mouth.
• It’s versatile. Embrace or omit the vanilla extract, or substitute it for vanilla bean paste. Stage up the cookies by substituting traditional butter for European type. Add chocolate chips or dip in chocolate, and reduce them into any form you’d like (I opted for hearts, however you possibly can skip the cookie cutter and simply use a knife to chop into rectangles).

That is the proper addition to your Christmas cookie tray. I can’t wait to listen to how you want this up to date model ❤️

What You Want

Traditional shortbread is made with simply butter, sugar, and flour, however I’ve discovered a number of small changes make for even higher outcomes. Right here’s what you want for my recipe.

• Butter. European butter is a superb improve right here! Since shortbread makes use of so few substances, the standard of every of them can actually make a distinction within the ultimate final result. I don’t typically splurge for it and you don’t have to, however you’ll have extra tender and buttery outcomes if you happen to use European-style butter (it is because it has the next fats content material!).
• Powdered sugar. Just like my shortbread-esque crust for my fruit tart, we’ll be utilizing powdered sugar on this shortbread cookie recipe. That is also referred to as confectioner’s sugar, 10x sugar, or icing sugar.
• Flour. Use all-purpose (additionally typically often called “plain”) flour. Self-rising flour won’t work right here. I extremely suggest utilizing a kitchen scale to measure this; if not, you possibly can over-measure and find yourself with a dry dough.
• Cornstarch. This promotes tender, melt-in-your-mouth outcomes. It additionally helps stop the cookies from spreading an excessive amount of within the oven, in order that they maintain their form superbly!
• Vanilla extract. This isn’t a standard ingredient and also you can go away it out if you happen to’d like; nonetheless, I really like the best way it deepens the flavour of the shortbread. Vanilla bean paste or a scraped vanilla bean would additionally work!

Notice that there is no such thing as a baking powder or baking soda on this recipe–that is intentional and anticipated with shortbread cookies!

SAM’S TIP: Add your dry substances step by step! This dough is pretty stiff, and if you happen to add them abruptly, you’ll have a really robust time bringing all the pieces collectively.

Bear in mind, that is simply an outline of the substances I used and why. For the total recipe please scroll right down to the underside of the submit!

Make Shortbread Cookies

1. Cream the butter with an electrical mixer till lightened in shade and creamy.
2. Add the sugar step by step and preserve mixing till the combination is clean.
3. Stir within the vanilla extract till properly integrated.
4. Whisk the dry substances collectively in a separate bowl, then step by step add them to the moist substances.

5. Use your fingers to type the dough right into a flat disc, then wrap in plastic wrap and place within the fridge to sit back for at the very least an hour.
6. Roll the dough out onto a flippantly floured floor till it’s ⅛-¼” thick.
7. Reduce shapes with a cookie cutter, making the cuts as shut collectively as attainable. Switch the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet and house 2″ aside. Re-roll the scraps and repeat this course of to make extra cookies.
8. Bake till the sides are simply beginning to flip a light-weight golden brown. That is about 9/11 minutes for my 2″ cookie cutter, however can differ relying on the dimensions you utilize.

SAM’S TIP: If you happen to don’t need to bake your dough straight away, you’ll be able to let it sit within the fridge for as much as 5 days. It could be a bit robust to roll if chilled longer than an hour although, so chances are you’ll must let it heat up at room temperature a bit earlier than rolling.

Often Requested Questions

I’d love to listen to how you want this new shortbread cookie recipe, particularly if you happen to have been a fan of the previous one!

Take pleasure in!

Let’s bake collectively! Subscribe to my e-newsletter to be notified of all the latest recipes, and discover my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜

Recipe and pictures up to date 11/30/23. If you happen to’d like the unique recipe, yow will discover it right here.

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