bake · Baking
How to Make Shortbread Cookies
Classic shortbread needs just three ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar in a 4:3:1 ratio. Cream room temperature butter with sugar until light, work in flour until it just comes together, then roll, cut, and bake at 325°F until the edges barely turn golden. The key is cold dough and gentle handling.
- Total time: 2 hr 35 min
- Hands-on: 20 min
- Serves: 12
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup flour
Step by step
- Prepare your ingredients. Take 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter out 30 minutes before starting. You want it soft enough to press with your finger but not melty. Measure 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat the soft butter with powdered sugar using a wooden spoon or mixer on medium speed. Stop when it's light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Don't overwork it.
- Add the flour. Pour the flour into the butter mixture. Stir gently with a wooden spoon until it just comes together into a soft dough. It should look slightly crumbly but hold together when pressed.
- Shape and chill. Turn the dough onto plastic wrap and shape into a log or press into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Cold dough cuts cleanly and holds its shape.
- Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rectangles, circles, or whatever shape you want. Place on an ungreased baking sheet with space between each cookie.
- Bake until set. Bake at 325°F for 12-15 minutes. They're done when the edges just start to turn pale golden. The centers should still look slightly underbaked. They'll finish cooking on the hot pan.
- Cool completely. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They'll be fragile when warm but firm up as they cool.
Tips & troubleshooting
- Use European-style butter with higher fat content for richer flavor and better texture
- Prick the dough all over with a fork before baking to prevent puffing
- Add a pinch of salt to enhance the buttery flavor, even in sweet shortbread
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze the shaped dough for up to 3 months
- If your dough is too soft to roll, chill it longer rather than adding more flour
Variations
- Brown Butter Shortbread. Brown half the butter in a pan until nutty and golden, then cool completely before creaming with the remaining cold butter and sugar.
- Lemon Shortbread. Add 2 tablespoons of lemon zest to the butter and sugar, plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Chocolate Dipped. Once cooled, dip half of each cookie in melted dark chocolate and let set on parchment paper.
- Pressed Shortbread. Skip rolling and cutting. Press dough into an 8-inch round pan, score into wedges, and bake 25-30 minutes.
Questions
- Why is my shortbread tough?
- You either overworked the dough after adding flour or used too much flour. Mix just until it comes together, and measure flour by spooning it into the cup rather than scooping.
- Can I use salted butter?
- Yes, but reduce any additional salt in the recipe. Salted butter actually adds nice flavor contrast to the sweetness.
- Why did my cookies spread?
- The dough wasn't cold enough when it went in the oven, or your butter was too soft to begin with. Always chill shaped dough before baking.
- How do I know when they're done?
- Shortbread should barely color. Look for pale golden edges and a set appearance. They'll still feel slightly soft in the center when you touch them.