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. Â
Shortbread CookiesÂ
Probably the most awaited Christmas Cookies! But to tell the truth I like to make these not just at Christmas Time! They are so good how can you not?
How to Make Shortbread Cookies:
- Beat butter until creamy.
- Sift icing sugar, corn starch, salt and flour 4 times (I know, but it is worth it)
- Then add to creamed butter a little at a time and work in with a wooden spoon as long as possible.
- Move to a lightly floured flat surface and knead until mixture cracks slightly.
- Pat gently to 1/3″ thickness.
- Cut out cookies with your favourite cutters.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Be sure you don’t let them brown.
- Let cool on cookie sheets.
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).
Be sure to watch the Video!
I love  Simple Shortbread Cookies, they practically melt in your mouth.  I always had a friend who said that her Brown Sugar Shortbread was the best and made exactly how it should be made with only 3 ingredients, butter, sugar and flour.
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.
Although I would argue that my Mom made the best cookies and hers had five ingredients. And yes I still stand by my Mom’s.
How to Store Shortbread Cookies:
The baked cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. I sometimes store mine in the fridge because I like cold cookies. They will last up to 10 days by storing them in the fridge.
How to Freeze Shortbread Cookies:
To freeze the shortbread cookies, place parchment paper in between the layers of cooled cookies this prevents them from sticking together when they are in the containers for freezing,
or you can also place the baked cooled cookies on a cookie sheet and freeze them, then move the frozen cookies to either airtight bags or containers.
Baked Shortbread Cookies will last up to a month in the freezer.
To thaw the cookies be sure to remove the frozen cookies from the bags or containers (this way no condensation will form) and let them thaw at room temperature.
How to make Shortbread Cookies without a cookie cutter:
With this Shortbread dough you can actually just roll the dough into a log shape, then slice it and bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I would probably refrigerate the log (before cutting) for about 20 minutes.
Can this Shortbread Recipe be made with a mixer?
If you can’t or don’t want to knead the dough by hand, then yes a stand up mixer using the paddle attachment will work just fine, although I would only knead up to a point, when the dough just starts to come together (or even better, very coarse crumb mixture) and then knead the dough by hand. Completely kneading by machine can make the dough tough and dry.
What is the best flour for Cut out Cookies?
Be sure to use a high protein (at 12%) flour, a low protein flour will cause the cookies to spread, and believe me refrigerating the dough will not help.
Shortbread 
Why do you add Cornstarch to Shortbread Cookies?
I have recently discovered that a lot of people add corn starch (my Mom’s  fourth ingredient) to cookie and cake recipes, the reason is because it adds softness to the finished cookie or cake.
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.
More Shortbread Cookies You May Enjoy!
- Easy Chocolate Chip Whipped Shortbread
- Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Cheesecake Squares
- Almond Crescent Cookies
- Coconut Jam Squares
And why is it called Shortbread Called Shortbread:Â
According to British Food History –Â Dating back to the 12th century , shortbread was originally called biscuit bread. These biscuits were made from left-over bread dough that was sometimes sweetened and dried out in the oven to form a hard, dry rusk. This practise took place over the whole of the British Isles, not just Scotland.
I hope you try these Shortbread Cookies, either my Mom’s or the Brown Sugar Shortbread or why not both, and be sure to let me know, which Shortbread Cookie you prefer? Â 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
jeanine says
I have a question. Can you please tell me where you find flour that is 12% protein?
I can’t find anything that lists more than 3% at the grocery.
Thank you.
Rosemary says
Hi Jeanine, where are you? In Italy I use Manitoba flour and in Canada I use all-purpose. Let me know.
Jeanine says
Thanks for your reply.
I’m in the USA…. Kentucky.
I’ve done other shortbread recipes with the all purpose flour available here and they don’t seem to spread.
Is there anything I may be able to add to up the protein?
I may just try your recipe anyway. I’m sure the shortbreads will still be delicious, if not beautiful.
Rosemary says
Hi Jeanine, then if you have used it to make other shortbread and it didn’t spread, I’m sure it will be fine. No there isn’t anything you can use to up the protein in the flour. Let me know how it goes.
Susan G says
This is the best. I followed directions to a tee. Even the sifting part, it works. Get recipe will be making again. Kid tested and approved
Rosemary says
Hi Susan, thanks so much, glad everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Lauren says
I make your mom’s shortbread regularly. It’s amazing and everyone always loves them! I don’t know if I am just too lazy to knead but i always end up adding a little milk to allow the dough to come together a little easier- I find it tastes the exact same as when I made the recipe to a T.. thanks!
Rosemary says
Hi Lauren, thanks so much and thanks for the tip, I will have to try it. Have a great week.