Homemade Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Classic Shortbread Cookies
Love a cookie without all the frills and gets down to the basics of butter, flour and sugar? This shortbread cookie recipe is for you. They are a little more complicated than a drop cookie, but worth it if you love all things cookies. And shortbread.
We have so many delicious cookies here, you might want to consider a day to bake your favorites.
What Ingredients Are Needed?
softened butter
sugar (granulated white sugar)
flour
raw sugar
What Makes Shortbread Cookies Special?
For me it’s the butter and the sugar mixed in and add in enough flour to stick together. When they bake, they crisp a little on the outside giving a nice light crunch (depending on how long you bake them).
How Long Do You Chill The Shortbread Dough?
I reccommend chilling the cookie dough for 10-15 minutes. When I have chilled the dough for an hour, the dough became rock hard and I had to let it warm up to form into scoops. If your dough is dry, like mine became, adding a teaspoon of water and working it in, will help allow you to scoop the short bread cookie dough.
Preparing the Shortbread Dough
It’s important to have the butter at room temperature, so that you can cream it. This may be popular opinion, but I don’t have time to cream hard butter. Adding the granulated sugar in and allowing it to dissolve into the butter. You then gradually add in the flour for a firm dough and allow it to sit in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. Any longer than that and the dough seems to be rock hard for me. Make sure you cover the dough while in the fridge too.
What Temperature Do The Cookies Bake?
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and put parchment paper (or a silicone mat) on a baking sheet.
How Do You Get Consistent Sized Cookies?
You can roll out your dough and use cookie cutters if you like. I found a cookie scoop (1 Tablespoon in size) and the bottom of a glass jar or cup dipped in sugar get me the right size cookies just about every time. Make sure your dough is still chilled while you make them or it will be difficult to pull them from the bottom of the cup.
Tips for Perfect Shortbread Cookies
Use room temperature butter
Mix just just mixed from giving the dough a tough texture
Let the dough chill 15-20 minutes
If the dough is too dry, add a tiny, tiny bit of water and mix with your hand to melt it a bit and mix
Bake the cookies until they are slightly golden on the edges and tender in the middle (15-20 minutes)
Can I Freeze the Shortbread Dough?
Yes. The cookie dough can be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Make sure you lable and date it. You will then thaw the dough and bake as noted in the recipe.
Customizing Your Shortbread Cookies
You can add flavors to your cookies. Keep in mind you may need to adjust the flour if the items you are adding are liquid. Add 1/4 cup of fruits and zests to see how it looks at a time, add more if desired.
Add cherries and almond extract
Add lemon or orange zest
Chopped pecans can give you pecan sandies
Mini chocolate chips
Dried fruits will customize your cookies too
Sprinkle raw sugar or powdered sugar on top
How Can I Storage and Freeze Cookies?
Shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days at room temperature. If you are wanting to freeze your cookies, they can be frozen for 2 months in an air tight container. You then thaw the cookie dough and bake or serve if they are already baked.
Troubleshooting Cookie Issues
If the cookies are spreading with baking, chill the dough longer and bake another cookie. If it is still spreading add a little flour into the dough.
If the cookies have a crumbly texture, they may need more butter. They may also just need a teaspoon of water. Try one or the other to see if the results are how you want them.
Classic Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Equipment
- Clean jar and a small bowl of sugar
Ingredients
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
Instructions
- Add your butter and sugar into bowl and mix until the sugar has melted into the butter.
- Add salt if you used unsalted butter. Do not add salt if you used salted butter.
- Add the flour slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time until mixed and stop.
- Cover and place the cookie dough into the fridge for 15-20 minutes until the cookie dough firms up. Do NOT leave it over night.
- Take cookie dough out of fridge, if it's too hard to work with, let it set for 10 minutes, possibly chissel it apart to warm up.
- Preheat oven to 300℉
- If it's now dry, add a tiny bit of water and work it in with your hands to warm up the butter and get things 'normal'
- Use your scoop and get a tablespoon of dough rounded.
- Place the dough onto the cookie sheet where it will bake.
- Take your clean jar, dip in sugar and then press it onto the cookie to smash it down to 1/4" thickness.
- Repeat and fill your cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges of the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, soft in the middle.
- Remove from heat and let cool before moving off tray.
- Repeat for all cookies.
Tips for Baking Cookies, Shortbread
- Read the Recipe: Read the entire recipe so you know what you will be doing, you have the tools and ingredients and the amount of time to make the cookies.
- Measure Accurately: Use measuring cups and spoons. This will ensure you are using the correct portions. Especially imporant to not have too much flour or enough in the cookies.
- Chill Dough: This allows you to shape the dough easily. You can also bake softer cookies
- Don’t Overmix: Mix only to combine. Over mixing with give you tough harder cookies.
- Preheat the Oven: Check that the oven is up to temp before putting the cookies in the oven, prevents over baking.
- Line Baking Sheet: Line you baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Set Timer: Check your cookies a minute or two before the suggested bake time to prevent overbaking, especially on first batch.
- Cool cookies: Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. If they cool on the baking sheet, they will continue to bake.
- Customize: If you want to next level the cookies, add spices, extracts, different chips, nuts to enhance the flavor. Zests also can be great in cookies, but watch the consistency of the cookie.
