Simple Shortbread Cookies – Two Ways
These Simple Shortbread Cookies can be made two ways, both are a delicious easy to make Shortbread Cookie Recipe, a melt in your mouth cookie that you will make year after year. Choose the traditional Shortbread or Brown Sugar version.
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?
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – softened be sure to use a good quality butter
- Sugar – powdered sugar or brown sugar (depending on the recipe)
- Cornstarch – this helps make a tender cookie and helps keep the cookies from spreading
- Salt – add flavor
- Flour – all purpose flour
Brown Sugar Shortbread Ingredients
- Brown sugar
- Butter – use a good quality butter
- Flour – all purpose with at least 11% protein
How is shortbread different from cookies?
Most cookies have baking powder, baking soda and eggs in the recipe, they are usually lighter and sometimes chewy, whereas shortbread do not have baking powder or soda and contain few ingredients and they tend to be a tender, crumbly and melt in your mouth type of cookie.
How to Make them – Classic Shortbread
Beat butter until creamy. Then add a little at a time the sifted icing sugar, corn starch, salt and flour.
Move to a lightly floured flat surface and knead until mixture cracks slightly. Pat or roll gently to 1/3″ thickness. Cut out cookies with your favourite cookie cutters.
Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheets or an un greased non stick cookie sheet and bake.
Be sure you don’t let them brown they should be a very light golden colour when done. Let cool on cookie sheets, then move to a wire rack.
This dough is so easy to work with you don’t even have to roll it out, but you can if you want, just pat to your desired thickness, (I tend to like them thicker, more cookie for the bite you could say).
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. I love the flavor the brown sugar gives the cookies. 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 make Brown Sugar Shortbread
Cream butter until fluffy, add sugar and cream together, then add the flour gradually and mix until almost combined.
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 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface roll to 1/3 inch (1 cm) thickness. Cut out with desired shapes, place on prepared cookie sheets and bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets and then move to a wire rack.
And why is it called Shortbread
According to British Food History – 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.
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 30 minutes.
Can this Shortbread Recipe be made with a stand 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.
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.
As a reader Trina, stated “The dough does come together with elbow grease. I wouldn’t add more butter, it just takes kneading and I found that the mixer does not bring it together, you need to get in there with your hands”.
Recipe FAQs
Powdered sugar will help keep the cookies soft for longer and it helps to keep the cookies from spreading while baking.
Brown sugar will make a softer cookie and a subtle caramel flavor. Because brown sugar can increase spreading in cookies it is a good idea to chill the dough and the cookies before baking.
Be sure to use a higher protein flour, at least 11%, which is most all purpose flours, a low protein flour will cause the cookies to spread, and believe me refrigerating the dough will not help.
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. It also helps keep the dough from spreading.
Variations
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 and then baked them. You could also dip the baked cookies in melted chocolate, or sprinkle some nuts, coconut or even nonpariels before baking.
How to keep cookies from spreading
To keep the cookies from spreading it is best to beat the butter and sugar just until combined and not creamed (of course this also depends on the type of cookie), for some cookies including some icing sugar in the mixture also keeps the cookies from spreading.
And probably most important of all, is to use a higher protein flour with at least 11% protein count. And don’t forget to chill the dough for at least 1 hour and again the cut out cookies before baking while the oven is pre-heating. Using most of these will help produce the perfect Christmas Cookies.
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 the completely 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 6 months 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. In our house no one waits for them to thaw!
FAQs
Yes you can make the dough in advance, wrap well and place in an airtight bag, it can be refrigerated for up to 2-4 days or frozen for up to a month in the freezer.
I like to bake my shortbread to a very light color, whereas my daughter prefers them a darker golden brown. It’s up to you.
In my opinion no, unsalted butter is not available in my area in Italy so I have never used it and I have never noticed a difference. Just be sure to adjust the salt accordingly.
Shortbread has a buttery melt in your mouth crumbly texture. For some people it can even have a dry sandy texture.
I would advise refrigerating the dough for at least an hour and then refrigerating the cookies for about 15-20 before baking. This can be done while the oven is pre-heating.
Yes you could add for example a teaspoon of vanilla, almond or orange flavoring. Or you could incorporate some chopped chocolate, coconut or even some finely chopped nuts.
I hope you try these Simple 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. Enjoy!
More Shortbread Cookies You May Enjoy!
- Easy Chocolate Chip Whipped Shortbread
- Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies
- Lemon Cheesecake Squares
- Almond Crescent Cookies
- Coconut Jam Squares
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Simple Shortbread Cookies – Two Ways
Ingredients
MY MOM'S SHORTBREAD (Classic shortbread)
- 1 cup butter softened (salted)*
- ½ cup icing / powdered sugar
- ½ cup corn starch
- 1 pinch salt*
- 2 cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein)
If you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently this year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
MY FRIEND'S SHORTBREAD (Brown sugar shortbread)
- 1 cup butter softened (salted)
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 325° (160 celsius).
My Mom's Shortbread. Line 2 cookies sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat butter until creamy about 3 minutes. Sift icing sugar, corn starch, salt and flour 4 times (I know, but it is worth it). Add the dry sifted ingredients to the 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 until the dough cracks slightly.
- Roll gently with a lightly floured rolling pin to 1/3" (1 cm) thickness or pat to desired thickness with the palm of your hand. Cut out with Christmas cutters and place on the prepared cookie sheets, bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, don't let them brown. Let cool on cookie sheets, then move to a wire rack.
My friend's Shortbread
- Cream butter until fluffy, add sugar and cream together, then gradually add the flour and salt, 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.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for approximately 60 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll the dough to 1/3 inch (1 cm) thickness. Cut out into desired shapes, place on the prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate the cookies while the oven is pre-heating. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets and then move to a wire rack.
*or use the paddle attachment on the mixer until almost combined, then move to a lightly floured flat surface and continue with the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from November 30, 2014
I’m going to make these before the holiday season is over, but would like to know how much cinnamon to add to the mix in order to have cinnamon Shore?
Hi Corinne, I have a cinnamon shortbread recipe, here is the link https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/cinnamon-shortbread/. Might be easier to follow this one. Let me know how it goes.
I was second guessing the butter/flour mix ratio but all of a sudden it came together! Just had to keep kneading! Thanks for the recipe – shortbread is my family’s favourite!
Hi Sue, yeah kneading is important in this recipe. Merry Christmas.
Made these last night. They are amazing. I’ve used several shortbread recipes over the last two years, trying to find one that made exact taste I was looking for. This was by far the best. Will be making more for the holidays
Hi Jay, thanks so much so glad you enjoyed them.
My granddaughter and I are making these now! Love how simple it is for her to do herself. Will add these to our holiday recipes! Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅🏻🎄
Hi Becky, thanks so much, Merry Christmas to you and your family too!
Was watching the Holiday Cookie bake-off and one of the bakers used cornstarch in his shortbread, so I had to google that and found your page first. So, I made your mom’s recipe. AWESOMENESS. We love shortbread here and these are by far the best shortbread cookies I’ve ever made. The only problem is that now I have to make more because the first batch (which was for gifting) is history. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hi Denise, thanks so much. Glad you liked the cookies. Yes they go pretty quick in my house too.
Your moms shortbread is totally awesome I followed it to the end and rolled cut and resolved prefect….. oh and the taste awesome…. I m not a baker but every Christmas I do go out of my way and bake lots sell some trays just to help… thank you for this recipe…
Hi Mary, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Have a great weekend and a very Merry Christmas.
I just made these Shortbread cookies and they are the best I’ve made so far -my family loved them! Followed your instructions excatly – except for sifting the flour (I never do and everything bakes up just fine). This recipe will be kept in my Xmas file for future Xmas baking!
Hi Adelina, thanks so much and glad you like the cookies. Have a great weekend and a Happy Holiday Season.
“Sift icing sugar, corn starch, salt and flour 4 times …”
QUESTION:
Do you individually sift these 4 times each and then measure each one OR
Measure the 4 ingredients first and then sift them together 4 times?
Hi Natalia, what I do is place the whisk over a bowl and measure each ingredient into the sifter that way you measure and sift at the same time, then sift another 3 times. I hope that isn’t confusing. Let me know.
Perfect! I had the same question! Thank you for clarifying! Can’t wait to make these with my son in a few minutes!
I made your mom’s recipe more than once. My mom thinks I should be on food channel, that’s how well thery turned out. Thanks for making me a legend in the kitchen. lol Angel
Hi Angel, haha glad I could help. And thank you, glad everyone likes the cookies. Happy Holidays.
What is icing/sugar?
Hi Cathy icing sugar is also known as powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. It’s an extremely finely ground sugar. Hope that helps.
I love this recipe! I have made a few hundred cookies (so far) using this recipe. They always turn out great. To save time, I make them in my food processor. It works beautifully.
Hi Meredith, thanks so much. Good idea using the food processor. Have a great weekend and Holiday Season.
Can these cookies be iced with Royal icing?
Hi Mark, I have never iced these cookies before, but I think other readers have and it did work. Let me know if you try it.
hi for the brown sugar cookies, is it half a cup PACKED brown sugar? thank you 🙂
Hi Cara, lightly packed brown sugar. I hope you like them, let me know.
AMAZING recipe! I have a hard time baking cookies from scratch and haven’t found a good recipe that has ever worked for me but I keep trying! I love the control I have when I take it out of the mixer, I can’t control my toddlers so this is the one area where I can gain it I guess!
Hi Vince, thanks so much glad you liked it. And yes I remember the toddler stage very well lol. Have a great weekend.
The dough does come together with elbow greese. I wouldn’t add more butter, it just takes kneeding and I found that the mixer does not bring it together, you need to get in there with your hands.
Hi Trina, thanks I totally agree, you need to work the dough. 🙂