Description
This classic shortbread cookie recipe yields tender, buttery, and crumbly cookies with a delicate sweetness perfect for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients like butter, sugar, vanilla, and flour, these cookies are rolled thick for their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture. Whether shaped into rounds or fingers, chilling and freezing steps ensure a flaky and perfectly baked shortbread every time.
Ingredients
Scale
Butter Mixture
- 1 cup butter (slightly softened but still firm)
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed) or powdered sugar as substitute
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For Coating
- Granulated sugar (for rolling the dough, optional)
Instructions
- Make the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 1 cup slightly softened butter and beat until creamy and smooth.
- Add sugar and vanilla: Incorporate 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar (or powdered sugar) and 6 tablespoons powdered sugar along with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat for about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Measure flour carefully: Use a spoon to add flour to a measuring cup, then level it off with a knife. Add 1 and 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour to the butter mixture. Proper measuring avoids crumbly dough.
- Add cornstarch and salt: Before combining, add 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix gently with a mixer or wooden spoon until the dough just comes together with no flour streaks. Do not overmix to keep the dough tender.
- Chill the dough: Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, press into a flat square, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes to firm up.
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (silpat).
- Roll the dough: Lightly flour your work surface and roll the chilled dough to approximately 3/8 inch thickness, up to 1/2 inch if preferred, aiming for thick shortbread.
- Cut the dough: Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter or slice into 1 inch by 3 inch rectangular fingers. Remove uneven edges if slicing fingers.
- Coat with sugar: Optional step: Toss each cut cookie in granulated sugar for extra sweetness and sparkle, then place cookies on the baking sheet with at least 1 inch spacing.
- Fork indentations: Use a fork to make decorative indentations on finger-shaped cookies; optional for rounds.
- Preheat oven: Set oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
- Freeze before baking: Freeze the entire pan of cookies for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 40-50 minutes. This step ensures the butter stays cold for flaky, crumbly texture.
- Bake first phase: Bake cookies at 350°F for about 11 minutes. They should remain soft and not golden yet.
- Shape cookies: Quickly remove the pan and use a butter knife or a round cutter to gently tap edges inward to maintain shape. This step is optional.
- Bake second phase: Return cookies to oven and bake 2-3 more minutes until just set but not browned. The total bake time is about 13-14 minutes.
- Cool the cookies: Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy fresh: Shortbread cookies are best enjoyed warm and soft right out of the oven paired with milk.
- Storage: Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 7-10 days. For longer storage, freeze baked or unbaked dough.
- Freezing tips: Flash freeze baked cookies on a sheet for 30 minutes before transferring to freezer bags. Use within one month. Unbaked dough can be flash frozen shaped for 1-3 months; bake from frozen adding 1 minute extra baking time.
Notes
- Powdered sugar can substitute dark brown sugar for a lighter texture and flavor.
- Measuring flour correctly by spooning into the cup prevents dense, crumbly dough.
- Do not overmix dough to keep cookies tender and flaky.
- Freezing dough/cookies before baking is key for perfect texture in shortbread.
- Shortbread cookies do not rise much, but spacing cookies on pan ensures even baking and clean edges.
- Rolling shortbread thick (3/8 to 1/2 inch) is traditional and yields tender cookies.
- Cookie shapes can be rounds or fingers—both classic and delicious.
