The Best Simple Two Way Shortbread Cookies, these are a delicious easy to make Shortbread Recipes, a melt in your mouth cookie that you will make year after year. Choose the traditional Shortbread or Brown Sugar Shortbread. Both delicious.
I dedicated today to baking Shortbread Cookies. In my house shortbread cookie making always marks 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 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.
The Best Simple Two Way 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 they need. Let cool on a wire rack.
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!
- MY MOM'S SHORTBREAD
- 1 cup butter softened 250 grams
- 1/2 cup icing sugar 62 grams
- 1/2 cup corn starch 62 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 2.8 grams
- 2 cups flour 260 grams
- MY FRIEND'S SHORTBREAD
- 1 cup butter softened 250 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar 100 grams
- 2 1/2 cups flour 325 grams
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Pre-heat oven to 325° (160 celsius).
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MY MOM'S SHORTBREAD
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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.
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Approximately 30 cookies (depending on size of cutters)
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MY FRIEND'S SHORTBREAD
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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.
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Yield approximately 30 cookies (depending on size of cutters)
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 ?
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. 🙂
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 🙂
Hi Nina, so glad you enjoy the recipes and I hope you enjoy the Cookies. Have a wonderful Sunday.
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
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.
Cookies tasted salty…followed recipe exact. Is it maybe with unsalted butter? Help…
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.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I followed it carefully and the cookies were scrumptious.
Hi Danielle, so glad you enjoyed them, have a wonderful Christmas.
Hi Alia, no I meant add the sugar and then cream them (butter and sugar) together. Hope that helps. 🙂
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?
Hi Jasmine, what I do is bake the cookies and then freeze them. I have never frozen the dough unbaked. Hope that helps.
Yes, that does help. Thank you!
Glad to hear that Jasmine. Have a great weekend.
Is the icing sugar component referring to pure icing sugar? Thanks
Hi Alex, yes is it pure icing sugar. Have a great week.
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!
Hi Michelle, really? Then you should try them, it is so easy and sooo delicious.
Hi,
Is it possible to substitute the flour with an equal amount of rice flour?
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.
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:)
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!
Why so much corn starch?
Hi Wendy, actually it isn’t too much corn starch and they come out perfect. Why do you think it’s too much?
Newer cook here- all purpose flour or self-rising? Excited to try these with my girls. Thanks for sharing!
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 ;).
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
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.
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!
Hi Shannon, glad it worked, when baking all ingredients have to be precise, with cooking not so much. Have a wonderful Christmas.
I just finished baking your shortbread cookie recipe and both my husband and I agree, they are delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Linda, so glad you like them, have a great weekend. 🙂
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!
Hi Samantha so glad you enjoyed it.
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!
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.
Rosemary, wonderful recipe. What is “icing sugar”?
Hi Lindy, icing sugar is another name for powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. 🙂
For your mom’s recipe as it calls for salt do you use unsalted butter?
Hi Melissa, I use regular butter and I know my Mom did too.
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.
Hi Laura, yes salt does make a difference doesn’t it and nothing like shortbread!
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!
Hi Jeanne, thanks they are really good too. Let me know how you like them. Have a great weekend.
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.
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
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
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! 🙂
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
Hi Roz, Thanks, I just love shortbread, what cookies do you bake for Christmas?