The Lairds Legacy Truly Authentic Scottish Shortbread

The Lairds Legacy Truly Authentic Scottish Short

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Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:22 Mins

Servings:16 squares or 24 fingers

Ingredients:

• cup (2 sticks or 227g) Unsalted Butter, very cold and cubed
• /2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 cups (280g) All-Purpose Flour, spooned and leveled
• /4 cup (30g) Cornstarch (or Rice Flour)
• /4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9x9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is an overhang for easy lifting later.
• In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set the dry mixture aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the very cold, cubed butter and sugar on medium speed for about 1 minute, until just combined and sandy. Do not over cream; the mixture should not become light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture on low speed. Mix only until the dough just comes together and no streaks of dry flour remain. Stop mixing immediately to avoid developing gluten.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 60 minutes. This chilling step is crucial for texture.
• Remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly score the dough into desired squares or fingers using a sharp knife (do not cut all the way through yet). Prick the surface of the dough all over with a fork (docking).
• Bake for 18 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The shortbread should remain pale with very light golden edges.
• Immediately upon removing the hot shortbread from the oven, use the knife to cut fully through the pre-scored lines. Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out and serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	71 kcal
Protein	0.7 g
Fat	5.2 g
Carbs	16.8 g
Fiber	0.1 g
Sodium	2501 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Dessert, Cookie, Biscuit
Cuisine	Scottish

That Buttery Bliss: Why You Need This Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe

The moment the oven timer goes off, that smell hits you. It’s pure, unadulterated butter mixed with warm sugar. Honestly, it’s the best aroma to come out of my kitchen, hands down.

If you’re after Scottish Shortbread Cookies that actually crumble exactly how they should, then pull up a chair.

Finding the Perfect Shortbread

I know what you’re thinking. There are a million shortbread recipes out there. You’re probably asking: Is this going to be tough? Will it spread everywhere? And what is the actual secret to good shortbread ? Fear not, my friend.

This Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe cracks the code. We nail the texture so it melts on your tongue, not crumbles into dust before it hits your mouth.

Why Bother with This One?

Most online recipes rush the process or use too much sugar, which ruins the classic crumb. They often forget the crucial addition of cornstarch that separates the truly authentic Scottish shortbread recipe from the rest.

We are sticking to the reliable Scottish shortbread 3:2:1 rule (well, a slight home cook adjustment!) which guarantees that rich, satisfying flavour. Unlike those dry supermarket versions, these are tender and boast that beautiful pale gold colour.

Time to Get Baking Our Scottish Shortbread Cookies

Right, we are keeping this simple. Remember, shortbread is about quality ingredients, not complication. You need butter that tastes like butter none of that margarine nonsense if you want the best Scottish shortbread cookies .

Ingredients: The Shortlist

Forget a mile long list; we use the holy trinity: flour, sugar, and loads of cold butter. I'm using slightly more flour than some recipes to help keep these firm enough for dipping (perfect for Scottish shortbread with jam later). Make sure your butter is straight from the fridge, cubed up.

This is non-negotiable if you want that tender texture instead of a flat, oily disc.

The Mixing: Less is More

When you bring the butter and sugar together, you only want them just combined. I learned the hard way years ago if you whisk it like you’re making a Victoria sponge, you’re baking a tough cracker! We are aiming for a sandy mix, not fluffy peaks.

When you add the flour, stop the mixer the second you see no more dry patches. Trust me on this; the dough will look shaggy, and that’s exactly right.

Baking to Perfection

Once chilled (don't skip the chilling, honestly, it saves you grief), pop these into a 325°F (160°C) oven. They don’t need to brown heavily. If they look barely golden around the edges after about 20 minutes, they are done.

Pull them out, score them immediately while they’re hot that’s your second crucial tip for clean slices and let them cool completely before you even think about picking one up. If you can resist, that is!

They are divine served with a strong brew or even reimagined as Scottish shortbread Christmas cookies dusted with icing sugar.

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Right then, let’s get cracking on a batch of shortbread that would make even the most ardent Scot shed a happy tear! Forget those mass produced tins; we’re aiming for buttery perfection here. This is the real deal simple ingredients, but technique is everything.

If you’ve ever wondered about the secret to good shortbread , stick with me. We are making what some folks call the best Scottish shortbread cookies out there.

Ingredients, Sourcing & Smart Substitutions

Core Shopping List

This recipe lives and dies by the butter, mate. You need the good stuff. For the butter, grab 227g (or 1 cup) of proper unsalted butter. Crucially, it must be very cold and cut into little cubes.

Don't use that lurid yellow stuff; look for something with a decent fat content around 82% fat is perfect if you can find it.

For sugar, we need 100g (or 1/2 cup) of standard granulated sugar. Use plain all-purpose flour , measured by spooning it lightly into your cup, then leveling it off that’s 280g (or 2 1/4 cups) .

Finally, we slip in 30g (or 1/4 cup) of cornstarch. Honestly, that cornstarch is the magic bit that makes these Scottish Shortbread Cookies so tender they practically dissolve.

Flavour Architecture

Honestly, the flavour architecture here is minimalist, which is why butter quality matters so much. We aren't loading this up with vanilla or spices; we want that pure, nutty dairy flavour to shine.

The cornstarch acts as an aromatic booster, if you will, by refining the texture and enhancing the perception of richness.

If you find your butter isn't quite giving you that deep, buttery hit you crave (maybe you got a cheap block), you can add a tiny pinch just a whisper of very fine sea salt into the dry mix to lift everything.

For variations, if you want to move towards something like Scottish shortbread with jam later, you could skip adding any zest now. However, if you want a subtle flavour lift in this base recipe, instead of using cornstarch, you could use rice flour (that’s one path).

My own original thought? If you're feeling adventurous, whisk in 1 teaspoon of very finely ground, toasted almonds with your flour. It gives a lovely depth without stealing the show from the butter.

Equipment & Mise en Place

You don't need a fancy bakery setup for this easy Scottish Shortbread recipe . A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is handy, but a good old-fashioned sturdy hand mixer or even a strong arm and a pastry blender will do the trick.

You’ll need a 9x9 inch square baking pan .

My biggest pro tip for mise en place ? Get everything measured out before you even touch the butter. Seriously. Once you start mixing the butter and sugar, time is of the essence to keep things cool.

I learned the hard way that letting butter soften even slightly means you have to chill the dough for twice as long. For the authentic Scottish shortbread recipe , keeping it cold is half the battle. Once everything is ready, mixing takes about five minutes flat.

Then it’s just a long, patient chill. Remember to preheat your oven to 325° F ( 160° C) well before the chilling time is up.

Right then, let’s get cracking on a batch of shortbread that would make even the most ardent Scot shed a happy tear! Forget those mass produced tins; we’re aiming for buttery perfection here. This is the real deal simple ingredients, but technique is everything.

If you've ever wondered about the secret to good shortbread , you’re in the right place.

Before You Cook

Listen up, this bit is non-negotiable. When the big boys on the cooking shows tell you to chill your dough, they aren't messing about. My first time making Scottish Shortbread Cookies , I thought I could skip the hour chill. Big mistake.

The butter melted too fast in the oven, and I ended up with a pale, greasy sheet, not a lovely crumbly square. It was a right mess, honestly.

Guided Cooking Sequence

We’re keeping this dead simple. The magic happens when you handle the dough less than a newborn babe.

1. Preheat your oven to 325° F ( 160° C) . Line your 9x9 pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang that’s your handle later.
2. Sift your dry bits (flour, cornstarch, salt) together. Get rid of any lumps now.
3. Cream the cold butter and sugar. I use a mixer, but you can do it by hand if you fancy a bicep workout. Mix just until it looks sandy. If you see it turn fluffy, you’ve gone too far. That’s when you invite toughness, and we want the tender crumb of authentic Scottish shortbread recipe .
4. Gently fold in the dry mix on the lowest speed until it just comes together. Stop right there.
5. Press the dough evenly into the tin. Now, back in the fridge it goes for 60 minutes . Seriously.
6. When it comes out, dock it all over with a fork prick it good! Score your lines now, but don't cut through.
7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes . You are looking for pale gold around the edges, not brown all over.

Save-It Section

These beauties are brilliant for making ahead. Once they are totally cool, you can wrap the whole slab tightly I use foil, then pop it in a sturdy container. They keep beautifully for over a week.

If you’re planning on making Scottish shortbread Christmas cookies , do them a week before, and they’ll be even better once the flavours have settled.

Now, the emergency fix list, because kitchen disasters happen:

• Too Dry/Crumbly When Cutting? If you cut them while hot (Step 8), this shouldn't happen. If it does, warm up a tablespoon of melted butter and drizzle it very lightly over the cracked areas.
• Too Salty? It’s rare with this recipe, but if it happens, serve it with something sweet like raspberry jam (perfect for Scottish shortbread with jam ). The sweetness balances the saltiness.

Honestly, once you nail this easy Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe , you’ll never look back. They are miles better than Scottish shortbread vs regular shortbread —they have that superior melt. Enjoy them with a strong brew, you deserve it!

Right then, let’s get cracking on a batch of shortbread that would make even the most ardent Scot shed a happy tear! Forget those mass produced tins; we’re aiming for buttery perfection here. This is the real deal simple ingredients, but technique is everything.

If you fancy the best buttery bake you’ve ever made, stick with me.

Taste & Texture Upgrades

You see, the secret to good shortbread isn't just the ingredients; it's how you treat them. Unlike those American style butter cookies that often rely on creaming butter and sugar until fluffy (adding air), we’re using the Scottish shortbread 3:2:1 rule —or close to it to keep things dense and crumbly.

My little trick? I always swap out about 1/4 cup of the flour for cornstarch. I know, sounds fussy, but honestly, that cornstarch is what gives you that proper, soft, melt-in-your mouth feel that sets the best Scottish shortbread cookies apart from the rest.

For plating, don't overthink it. These are rustic. Serve them neat, or dust lightly with icing sugar once cool. If you’re feeling fancy, a little swirl of homemade raspberry jam in the centre before baking gives you lovely Scottish shortbread with jam .

It makes them look like proper homemade treats, not something rushed out of a factory.

Nutrition & Dietary Paths

Now, let’s talk brass tacks. For two of these beauties (based on 24 servings), you’re looking at about 145 calories. The fat content is what it is it’s butter, after all!

If you need to lighten things up, you can reduce the sugar slightly, but be warned: too much sugar reduction impacts the final texture, making it drier, because sugar helps keep the shortbread tender.

If you’re going gluten free, swap the flour for a reliable 1:1 GF blend. Keep the cornstarch; that’s your structure insurance. Dairy free is trickier because butter is the star.

You'd need a decent hard baking block alternative, but honestly, the flavour just isn't the same as with real dairy butter, bless its heart.

Serving & Pairing Ideas

These are brilliant make ahead bakes. Store your cooled Scottish Shortbread Cookies in an airtight tin at room temperature; they’ll happily last a solid week, maybe longer if you don’t tell anyone you’ve made them!

If they go a bit soft after a few days, just give them 5 minutes on a baking tray at 150° C ( 300° F) to crisp up again never microwave them, or you’ll end up with sad, oily pucks.

If you’re doing a full spread, pair these with a proper, strong brew a good English Breakfast tea is non-negotiable. For something stronger, a wee dram of something smoky on the side is grand. This easy Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe is a winner every single time.

Now go on, get that butter out and make yourself some proper baking memories!

If you're craving more ideas, explore The Ultimate soft and chewy snickerdoodle recipe Pillowy Cookies Every Time , Buttery Shortbread Sugar Cookies Easy Bake Off Treat and My MeltInYourMouth Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies .