The Best Simple Two Way Shortbread Cookies, these are a delicious easy to make Shortbread Cookie Recipes, a delicious melt in your mouth cookie that you will make year after year. Choose the traditional Shortbread or Brown Sugar Shortbread.
Shortbread Cookies are probably the most awaited Christmas Cookies!
Today, in my house I am dedicating to baking these easy Christmas Cookies. They always mark the start of Christmas.
Doesn’t matter if I make another type of Christmas cookie, a bar cookie or even a sugar cookie, shortbread is Christmas for us.
So to really get in the mood I slipped a little Christmas music into the cd player.
I must say no one better than Michael Bublè to croon out a few holiday tunes! So sing-along I did. Unfortunately I can only dream about a white Christmas.
I love Simple Shortbread Cookies, they practically melt in your mouth. I always had a friend who said that her shortbread was the best and made exactly how it should be made with only 3 ingredients, butter, sugar and flour.
I would argue that my Mom made the best cookies and her’s had five ingredients. And yes I still stand by my Mom’s.
But to make her happy I would make her Brown Sugar Shortbread cookies, and I have to admit she did have a good argument, they are pretty yummy.
Shortbread Cookies
I have recently discovered that a lot of people add corn starch (my Mom’s fourth ingredient) to cookie and cake recipes, they say for adding softness. So I guess my Mom knew what she was doing. Sorry my friend, I win!
This dough is so easy to work with you don’t even have to roll it out, just pat to your desired thickness, (I tend to like them thicker, more cookie for the bite you could say).
To add a twist I even topped a couple of big stars with some Nutella and one with jam, then put some crumbled up dough on top.
So grab your favourite Christmas cookie cutters and start cutting, 10 minutes in a low oven is all these Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread Cookies need. Let cool on a wire rack.
More Shortbread Cookies You May Enjoy!
Easy Chocolate Chip Whipped Shortbread
Thick Nutella Chip Shortbread Cookies
Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
And why is it called Shortbread Called Shortbread?
Shortbread Cookies
If you are like me and make your cookies ahead of time these freeze perfectly. And if you have cookie lovers in your house a lock on the freezer might be a good idea.
So let me know, which Shortbread Cookie do you prefer? Enjoy!
The Best Simple Two Way Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
MY MOM'S SHORTBREAD
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup icing / powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- pinch salt
- 2 cups flour
MY FRIEND'S SHORTBREAD
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325° (160 celsius).
- MY MOM'S SHORTBREAD
- Beat butter until creamy. Sift icing sugar, corn starch, salt and flour 4 times (I know, but it is worth it) add to creamed butter a little at a time and work in with a wooden spoon as long as possible, then move to a lightly floured flat surface and knead till mixture cracks slightly. Pat gently to 1/3" thickness. Cut with Christmas cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes, don't let them brown. Let cool on cookie sheets.
- Approximately 30 cookies (depending on size of cutters)
- MY FRIEND'S SHORTBREAD
- Cream butter until fluffy, add sugar and cream together, then add flour gradually and mix with a wooden spoon as much as you can. Move the mixture to a lightly floured flat surface and with your hands work the dough until it comes together and forms a ball. If it is too sticky, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll to 1/2 - 1/3 thickness. Cut out with desired shapes, place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets and then remove to wire racks.
- Yield approximately 30 cookies (depending on size of cutters)
- ** I have received a couple of messages saying my Mom's shortbread doesn't come together and they had to add butter, a lot of butter! So I just made it again and no extra butter is needed, please note this is a dough that needs to be kneaded not whipped and don't forget the sifting. It will be crumbly until you start to knead it, then with a little bit of elbow grease you will arrive at the desired dough. Hope this helps. Let me know. Rosemary
Nutrition
Republished from November 30, 2014
Karen says
Can you make make rectangular shaped cookies by putting the dough in a baking pan instead of making cut out cookies?
Rosemary says
Hi Karen, you can try it but I really don’t know I have never made it that way, if you do just remember not to make it too thick.
Bri says
I’ve never made shortbread before and I’ve tried your easy bread recipe before and enjoyed it. I THINK I did everything right for your mom’s version. Tastes good to me!
Your site’s really helpful for me, my mom was never a baker and I want to get better at it and maybe teach her something. 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi Bri, thanks so much, you made my day I love helping people to bake (and cook). And yes you teach your Mom to bake too. 🙂 have a great day.
Juliet Ankamah says
Hi dear, i tried your mums shortbread recipe and it came out lovely and very delish. Thanks for sharing dear. You’ve made my day and the kids are going to love it when they come back from school.
Rosemary says
Hi Juliet, thanks so much, so glad you like them and I hope your kids do too. Have a great week.
Maria says
Thanks for the recipes! I tried both ways and like them both. My husband and kids preferred the mom recipe while I preferred the friend recipe a smidgen more. I like how the dough doesn’t spread upon baking and how easy and sharp the cut out shapes are to make.
Rosemary says
Hi Maria, thanks so much, glad everyone enjoyed them. Interesting you enjoyed the friend one more. I will have to make those again this year. 🙂
stephanie says
Help!
I made your mom’s recipe a couple times and they were the BEST shortbread cookies I’ve ever had, but recently I have tried a couple more times and can not get them to turn out well anymore. I am STUMPED because I don’t feel like I did anything differently!
They seem to stay sort of wet and gooey inside but turn dark brown on the bottom and hard on the outside.
It sounds like a problem with the baking itself in the oven but I swear I can taste it in the dough before it’s even baked.
Of course you wouldn’t know what the difference was between my first and last attempts but based on that description do you have any ideas? Just craving those wonderful cookies again!
– Stephanie
Rosemary says
Hi Stephanie, thanks so much. I don’t think it could be the ingredients unless something is past expire date. So I’m pretty sure it sounds like your oven temperature is off. You can test it with an oven thermometer. I had that problem last year, my cakes would rise than fall once they were out of the oven and they never completely baked inside. And believe it or not, I just read that sometimes we smell something (in this case bad) and we can also sense the odour through our mouth. Hope this helps. Let me know.
Sharon says
I use a similar recipe for melting moments without the corn syrup and when I bake them I swap my trays at5 mins. When I made this dough I had to add extra flour as if was too soft. I haven’t baked them yet but am about to put them in the oven and I will swap my trays. I’ll let u know how they go.
Rosemary says
Hi Sharon, thanks hope you enjoy them.
Nasreen says
Does the traditional recipe call for unsalted or salted butter?
Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Nasreen, the recipe uses salted butter (I can never find unsalted in Italy). Hope you enjoy it.
Pat says
Hello, I have two questions. I want to make these with my 4 year old twin grandsons and want them to do the cutting. Will this dough work with the little spring action plunger cutters? Also can I make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it until we roll it out and cut the cookies? Thank you very much
Rosemary says
Hi Pat, it should work fine with those types of cutters. And yes you can refrigerate the dough before hand, you might want to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before making the cookies. Have fun!
Marjorie Cross says
I made your mom’s recipe for Christmas and they came out PERFECT!!! I ended up making a second batch because my son kept sneaking them before I could dip them in chocolate. The second batch, I accidentally added an extra tablespoon of butter… they still turned out wonderfully! I dipped them in milk chocolate and white chocolate and my co-workers loved them! This is definitely my new go-to recipe.
Rosemary says
Hi Marjorie, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed them. I know it’s hard to stop at one! Happy New Year.
Sarah says
The cookies came out great! I will be saving the recipe for next year. I am glad you put in the tips about kneading the dough or i might have been worried, but the dough came together nicely. I used a wooden roller instead of patting to desired thickness.
Rosemary says
Hi Sarah, so glad you enjoyed them. And yes a little kneading but it does work. Happy New Year.
Nadia says
I made these last night and they are delicious, but the mixture was very crumbly 🙁 so much so that I couldn’t roll it out. I ended up adding in some egg and that held it together. I’m not sure if it was because of something I had done or maybe the different climate? Have you found this has happened to you before?
Rosemary says
Hi Nadia, this has never happened to me or my Mom, I even had people make this recipe for me using the instructions that you have to knead the dough, at first it is crumbly but it comes together, it takes some arm strength but it works, with no need to add anything. Hope this helps.
Candyce says
Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great. Thanks !!
Rosemary says
Hi Candyce, thanks so much, so glad you like them. Merry Christmas.
Claudette says
Hi! I would love to try these recipes now to be my christmas giveaways to friends, but I dont have cornstarch, can I skip it? Even brown sugar i dont have can i replace it with white sugar and how much should i put. Thanks.
Rosemary says
Hi Claudette, I have never made these without cornstarch so I would not recommend it. And substituting white sugar for brown gives them a different taste. Hope this helps. 🙂
Buffy says
Hi! After reading all the comments this recipe sounds like a true winner, and I’m hoping to use it as a base for some gourmet shortbreads. I plan to make a lemon & lavendar, an orange & chocolate, and a white chocolate, pistachio and cranberry. How do you think your recipe will handle these added ingredients?
Rosemary says
HI Buffy, sounds amazing, and I think it could handle it, it is a nice sturdy dough. Let me know how it goes. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Darlene says
I made the recipe with cornstarch. It is the same as my mother in laws recipe. They are so delicious! They need to be rolled thick so the cookie cutter has to be deep.
Rosemary says
Hi Darlene, so glad you enjoyed them and yes they have to be thick. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Janie westerkamp says
How much lemon extract would you use in this recipe
To make them more like Panera bakery’s recipe ? We love the cookie , thanks janie
Rosemary says
Hi Janie, sorry but I have never tried nor heard of these cookies, but I would say start with 1/2 teaspoon and see how that goes. Hope that helps. 🙂
Gillian says
I am a huge Panera shortbread cookie fan! I have it on good authority (wink) that the hint of lemon in their amazing cookies comes from the icing not the dough! So I would add lemon extract right to the icing as you make it, as Panera cookies are an iced shortbread….and amazing!!
Rosemary says
Hi Gillian, sounds like a good idea to me. Thanks
Ann says
Hi, I too love shortbread cookies and would love to ice them as I would a sugar cookie. Excited to give these a try. Thank you for both recipes ❤
Rosemary says
Hi Ann, your welcome and apparently quite a few people have iced them and loved them (my cousin included). Have a great weekend.
Wayne Speers says
Absolutely amazing recipe I actually really like both
Rosemary says
Hi Wayne, thanks so much, I’m glad you like both! Have a great weekend.
Naomi says
Well… what an absolutely SUPERB shortbread recipe your Mothers is!!! Thank you so much for sharing. This will be my go to recipe for ever more! ?
Rosemary says
Hi Naomi, thank you, so glad you enjoy it. Have a Merry Christmas.
Rhonda says
I am a little confused about the icing sugar. The powdered sugar I have already contains some cornstarch, so would I adjust the amount of corn starch in the recipe, to compensate? Thanks in advance! I’d like to make these but I’d like to get some clarification on the “icing sugar”.
Rosemary says
Hi Rhonda, icing sugar and powdered sugar are the same thing (Canadians call powdered sugar icing sugar), and yes there is a small amount of cornstarch in all powdered sugar so it doesn’t cake. So just follow the ingredients as written and it should be fine. Hope that helps. 🙂
Rhonda says
Thank you so much for the clarification! I look forward to trying this recipe.
Maria says
Hi Rosemary,
My son and I just made these cookies and they turned out perfect. So tender and flaky.
The dough is crumbly at first but with a little bit of effort it eventually comes together. Thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas!
Rosemary says
Hi Maria, thanks so much, and yes a little arm work is necessary but so worth it. Thank you and a Merry Christmas to you too.
nancie says
I made them using your friends recipe and they came out fabulous. My grandsons had a great time rolling the dough and making the cut outs. Don’t roll the dough too thin
Rosemary says
Hi Nancie, so glad you enjoyed them and your grandson had so much fun. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Ewa says
Hi Rose
I’ve just finished baking shortbread cookies from your recipe.
Everything went well. Just after baking them some of them were getting apart.
I have no idea why? Can you possibly know why they are so fragile?
Other than that they are very delicious. I really enjoy them.
Have a lovely Christmas
Ewa
Rosemary says
Hi Ewa, I really don’t know why, did you maybe bake them a little too long? Let me know.
Del Jeffs says
My mixture turned out so dry it wouldn’t clump together. I followed your recipe to the letter. Maybe too much flour? I’m in Australia….can’t think what difference that would make though, flours flour right? ….almost impossible to roll out.
Rosemary says
HI Del, sorry to hear that, I don’t know if it’s the conversion from cups to grams, but if it doesn’t come together just add more butter a tablespoon at a time. Hope that helps.
Janice Kreke says
Oh, these turned out perfectly! Being Scottish my shortbread recipe is the 3 ingredients only, but I wanted to try yours. They are delicious! I glazed half of them with vanilla bean glaze. Yum!
Rosemary says
Hi Janice, thanks so glad you enjoyed them. And the glaze sounds delicious. 🙂
Carrie says
Hello, would this be a good cookie to dio bottom half on chocolate?
Rosemary says
Hi Carrie, yes it would because it is quite sturdy, but I also just posted a shortbread that is perfect for that. 🙂
Veronica Lee says
I love, love, love shortbread cookies. And these look really good.
Rosemary says
Hi Veronica, me too :). And they are really good.
Amy says
I was wondering how well this cookies stand up to decorating opposed to a standard sugar cookie. I use glaze and icing to decorate my Christmas cookies and the sugar cookie recipe I use is rather blah. I wondered how butter cookies would stand up to the decorating processes such as do they break easily? I have been looking for a more flavorful cookie for Christmas Cookie decorating. Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Amy, this cookie is quite sturdy so I think it would stand up to being decorated. I don’t think it would break easily. Let me know if you try it.
Nina says
hi rose, I’m nina from Indonesia. Thanks to this cookie-recipe, my family loved it. I have made using your mother’s recipe. But I give a little modification by adding chopped chocolate in the dough ? hhmm .. it was very tasty and the butter smell is very tempting, especially when baked. certainly, makes it even easier (this is what I prefer ?) ps: sorry if my english is not good ?
Rosemary says
Hi Nina, so glad you like them and adding chocolate is a great idea. By the way your English is just fine. Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂
Nina says
Thanks for the recipes you’ve shared, many of the recipes are easy to make. That’s why I love your blog, Rose 🙂 Today I will try to make “Traditional Italian Breakfast Cookies”… once again, thank you, rose 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi Nina, so glad you enjoy the recipes and I hope you enjoy the Cookies. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Natalia says
Hi Rose. I love butter cookies. I found your recipe but in my country we use grams, and I prefer measures in grams (or punds and then make the translation) than cups or spoon. That’s why when I try to make the recipe I have a doubt, and I think that it’s just I transcription error: “Ingredients
MY MOM’S SHORTBREAD
1 cup butter softened 250 grams
1/2 cup icing sugar 62 grams (may be you should say: 125 gr)
1/2 cup corn starch 62 grams (may be you should say: 125 gr)
1/2 teaspoon salt 2.8 grams
2 cups flour 260 grams ((may be you should say: 500 gr)
MY FRIEND’S SHORTBREAD
1 cup butter softened 250 grams
1/2 cup brown sugar 100 grams
2 1/2 cups flour 325 grams (may be you should say: 750gr)”
Could be the cause of some poor results. Thanks for your lovely blog and sorry for my bad english
Rosemary says
Hi Natalia, thanks for your input, here in Italy we use grams also and I have a scale to measure, these are the right measurements. Believe me 2 1/2 cups of flour cannot possibly be almost a kilo. But thanks anyways. Merry Christmas. And your English is great.
Diana says
Cookies tasted salty…followed recipe exact. Is it maybe with unsalted butter? Help…
Rosemary says
Hi Diana, sorry to hear they were too salty for you, but that is the recipe and my Mom and I have been using for years. I do not use unsalted butter because I cannot find it in Italy. The 3 ingredient (brown sugar) shortbread does not call for salt so if that is the one you made I don’t know why you would find it salty. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Danielle says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I followed it carefully and the cookies were scrumptious.
Rosemary says
Hi Danielle, so glad you enjoyed them, have a wonderful Christmas.
Rosemary says
Hi Alia, no I meant add the sugar and then cream them (butter and sugar) together. Hope that helps. 🙂
Jasmine says
I am excited to try both recipes. I do have a question about freezing the dough. Should I cut the cookies and then freeze or can I roll into a log and then freeze?
Rosemary says
Hi Jasmine, what I do is bake the cookies and then freeze them. I have never frozen the dough unbaked. Hope that helps.
Jasmine says
Yes, that does help. Thank you!
Rosemary says
Glad to hear that Jasmine. Have a great weekend.
Alex says
Is the icing sugar component referring to pure icing sugar? Thanks
Rosemary says
Hi Alex, yes is it pure icing sugar. Have a great week.
Michelle says
Would you believe I have never made shortbread cookies?! I like to eat them though…perhaps I should try my hand at actually making them! Your freezer comment was too funny…that is definitely the case in our house. Unless it is hidden away (and hidden away well), the disappearing act happens often!
Rosemary says
Hi Michelle, really? Then you should try them, it is so easy and sooo delicious.
ALEXZANDRIA says
Hi,
Is it possible to substitute the flour with an equal amount of rice flour?
Rosemary says
Hi Alexzandria, I just did a little search and interesting enough yes you can substitute rice flour for regular, it’s a one for one. I would love to know how they turn out if you do make them. Hope this helps.
laura@motherwouldknow says
I’m intrigued by your mom’s recipe. Must try it with the cornstarch. I’ve seen other recipes that use cornstarch but haven’t made any of them. Having a mom-approved version makes it a no-brainer:)
Rosemary says
Hi Laura, I know everyone asks about the corn starch, but to tell the truth these are the only shortbread she ever made and we loved them, still do!
Wendy says
Why so much corn starch?
Rosemary says
Hi Wendy, actually it isn’t too much corn starch and they come out perfect. Why do you think it’s too much?
Jennifer Banner says
Newer cook here- all purpose flour or self-rising? Excited to try these with my girls. Thanks for sharing!
Rosemary says
Hi Jennifer all purpose flour, it will look crumbly at first but just keep kneading it. Let me know how it goes and have fun with your girls. I just made a batch this morning and I have already eaten 3 ;).
Shannon says
This did not work for me at all. I’ve made shortbread for years and thought I’d try a new recipe. It just crumbled apart and I couldn’t get it into a ball. What a waste of butter
Rosemary says
Hi Shannon, sorry to hear that it didn’t work out, I remade these this morning and they turned out perfectly, I think you might missed the step of kneading the mixture until it cracks, it is crumbly at first but you have to work it. Hope this helps.
Shannon says
I think perhaps my flour wasn’t level and therefore ended up with too much. I just tossed it all together again with a bit more better and then it worked!
Rosemary says
Hi Shannon, glad it worked, when baking all ingredients have to be precise, with cooking not so much. Have a wonderful Christmas.
Linda Sims says
I just finished baking your shortbread cookie recipe and both my husband and I agree, they are delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Rosemary says
Hi Linda, so glad you like them, have a great weekend. 🙂
Samantha says
I used your mother’s recipe and the shortbread came out soft and beautifully! Thanks so much for sharing and will keep using this recipe for future use!
Rosemary says
Hi Samantha so glad you enjoyed it.
Amy says
I have always gone with the 3 parts flour: 2 parts fat/butter: 1 part sugar recipe. It would be interesting to see how your differ!
Rosemary says
Hi Amy, this is the one and only shortbread recipe I have ever made or my Mom ever made. Let me know if you try it. Have a great day.
Lindy says
Rosemary, wonderful recipe. What is “icing sugar”?
Rosemary says
Hi Lindy, icing sugar is another name for powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. 🙂
Melissa says
For your mom’s recipe as it calls for salt do you use unsalted butter?
Rosemary says
Hi Melissa, I use regular butter and I know my Mom did too.
Ava says
What is ‘regular butter’?
Rosemary says
Hi Ava, regular butter is salted butter, not light not no salt, normal everyday butter (because basically that is all I get here in Italy). Hope that helps. 🙂
Laura says
I have always used some white rice flour. But the real reason your mom’s win? The salt! Salt makes everything better. I adore shortbread at Christmas and I love the star shapes.
Rosemary says
Hi Laura, yes salt does make a difference doesn’t it and nothing like shortbread!
Jeanne Horak-Druiff says
Love these – so cute! My mom used to make star-shaped Christmas cookies to hang on the tree – have bookmarked this recipe to have a go at making my own this year. Thanks!
Rosemary says
Hi Jeanne, thanks they are really good too. Let me know how you like them. Have a great weekend.
motherwouldknow says
Love your “battle of the shortbreads” Rosemary. I’m with your mom on this one, but honestly I’ll eat either – or better yet, both – kinds. Thanks for stopping by our Happy Holidays Link Party – be sure to join us again this week, beginning on Saturday at 7 pm ET.
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
Thanks so much for bringing your Christmas Cheer cookies to The Weekend Social. Hope to see you again Thursday 9:00 PM EST. Pinned http://www.theKitchenChopper.com
Lou Lou Girls says
This looks so perfect! I wish I could take a bite right now! Pinned and tweeted. Thank you for being a part of our party. I hope to see you on Monday at 7 pm. It wouldn’t be a party without you!
Happy Sunday! Lou Lou Girls
Joy @ Yesterfood says
Rose, shortbread is one of my very favorites, and stars just melt my heart! I will absolutely go with your recipe- I prefer my sweet recipes with a bit of salt. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Treasure Box Tuesday- pinned! 🙂
rozpaige says
Being married to a Scottish man, we can’t get enough shortbread in our house. Actually, I’m the one who is the glutton over them. If you say that your mom’s recipe is the best, Rose, than I believe you! Printing and pinning! Thank you for sharing! Wishing you a delicious Christmas season of baking your family’s treats!
Roz
Rose says
Hi Roz, Thanks, I just love shortbread, what cookies do you bake for Christmas?