The Quintessential Scottish Shortbread ThreeIngredient Buttery Bliss

The Quintessential Scottish Shortbread Threeingr

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Preparation time:20 Mins

Cooking time:20 Mins

Servings:20

Ingredients:

• cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed
• /2 cup (100g) Granulated Sugar (or Caster Sugar)
• 1/2 cups (300g) All-Purpose Flour, sifted
• /4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
• teaspoon Vanilla Extract (Optional)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line baking sheets or press parchment paper into a 9-inch square baking pan.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cold, cubed butter until smooth but not fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on medium speed until just combined. Add vanilla extract, if using.
• Reduce mixer speed to low. Slowly add the flour and salt mixture until the dough barely comes together into a cohesive mass. Stop mixing immediately to avoid overworking the gluten.
• For Cut-Outs: Gather dough, flatten into a disc, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour. Roll out and cut shapes.
• For Slab Shortbread: Press the dough evenly into the prepared square pan, ensuring the surface is level. Prick liberally all over with a fork (docking). Chill dough in the pan for 30 minutes.
• If using slab dough, score the dough into desired portions (squares or fingers) before baking.
• Bake for 15–20 minutes. The cookies should be pale golden on the edges but remain mostly pale yellow in the centre.
• Remove from the oven. If baking as a slab, immediately re-cut along the score lines while the cookie is still hot.
• Allow the shortbread to cool completely in the pan or on the sheets before handling to prevent breakage.

Nutrition Facts

Calories	52 kcal
Protein	0.5 g
Fat	4.2 g
Carbs	9.5 g
Fiber	0.0 g
Sodium	2001 mg

Recipe Info

Category	Dessert
Cuisine	Scottish

The Only Butter You Need: Diving into Shortbread Cookies

Smell that? That deep, nutty aroma of butter just starting to toast in the oven? That, my friends, is the smell of success. We’re not messing about today. We are talking about the ultimate humble classic: Shortbread Cookies .

If you want a biscuit that sings with pure flavour and snaps just right, this is the recipe you need.

Getting to the Bottom of Your Baking Worries

I know what you’re thinking before you even click ‘print’. Will these be dry? Will they crumble into dust when I look at them? Or worse, will they turn out tough as old boots? These are the classic pitfalls of a Simple Shortbread Recipe .

Don't you worry your pretty little head. I've made every mistake in the book so you don't have to.

This guide solves the three big ones: achieving that perfect ‘short’ texture, ensuring deep buttery flavour without burning, and keeping them pale gold instead of brown. Honestly, my method gets you the Perfect Shortbread Cookies every single time.

Why This Shortbread Recipe Beats the Rest

Most online recipes rush you through the creaming stage or tell you to use softened butter. Absolute madness! Those recipes result in something closer to a scone than a proper shortbread. We are aiming for the texture that makes you say, "Oh, crikey, that’s good."

This Easy Shortbread Cookies approach focuses on keeping everything cold and mixing minimally. It’s the secret the Scottish grannies knew. We ditch the fancy add-ins for now; this is the pure template, perfect for learning before we move onto Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate later.

Right then, let’s get the kettle on. Grab the highest quality butter you can find you’ll taste the difference, trust me. We are making a batch of Crispy Shortbread Cookies that will redefine your biscuit tin standards.

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Right then, let’s roll up our sleeves and get cracking on a truly foundational bake: Shortbread Cookies . These are the bedrock of biscuits, aren't they? Simple, elegant, and requiring just a few quality ingredients. If you can master this, you’re halfway to being a domestic deity!

This recipe, which I fondly call the "Buttery Bliss" Classic Shortbread , is about respecting the ingredients. We’re aiming for those gorgeously crisp Shortbread Cookies that practically melt in your mouth. Forget fancy gadgets; this is proper, honest baking.

Core Shopping List

If you want Perfect Shortbread Cookies , the butter is non-negotiable. Get the good stuff the higher the fat percentage, the better the crumble.

For the dough, you need 1 cup (227g) of cold, unsalted butter, cubed up. It needs to be cold, honest. Don't cheat and use softened butter here; you’ll end up with a sad, oily mess. Pair that with 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar.

If you have caster sugar, brilliant, but standard granulated is fine for this Simple Shortbread Recipe . Then, the main bulk: 2 1/2 cups (300g) of all-purpose flour, plus a tiny pinch of salt ( 1/4 teaspoon / 1.25g ).

If you’re feeling ambitious, a splash of vanilla extract (1 tsp) warms it up nicely, but truly, for Shortbread Cookies 3 Ingredient purists, leave it out.

Flavour Architecture

The architecture here is minimalist, mate. It’s fat, grain, and sweetener. That means the butter has to sing. If your butter tastes great, your Easy Shortbread Cookies will taste great. The salt is vital, though; it stops the butter from tasting flat.

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to level up these Crispy Shortbread Cookies before baking, try this trick: Steep two strong Earl Grey tea bags in your measured sugar for about half an hour before you start creaming. Strain out the bags.

That subtle bergamot flavour infuses beautifully. Alternatively, if you wanted to dip these later, you could easily adapt this into Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate by melting some quality dark chocolate (at least 70%) and drizzling it over once they’re cool.

That’s my go-to for Christmas bakes.

Equipment & Mise en Place

You don't need much fuss here. A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is handy, but honestly, a strong arm and a big wooden spoon will do the trick for this shortbread recipe. The most important tool is a rolling pin if you plan on cutting shapes for Shortbread Cookies For Decorating .

My big pro tip for any bake, especially for shortbread, is chilling. Get your dough mixed, form it into a disc, wrap it tight like you’re wrapping up last night’s leftovers, and get it in the fridge for at least an hour. Why? Because cold dough rolls beautifully and holds its shape in the oven.

If you try to roll warm shortbread dough, it gets sticky, and you end up adding too much flour, which messes up the crumb. Patience, my friend! Bake at a moderate heat about 325° F ( 160° C) —and keep an eye on them. They should stay pale, not brown.

Right then, let’s roll up our sleeves and get cracking on a truly foundational bake: Shortbread Cookies . These are the bedrock of biscuits, aren't they? Simple, elegant, and requiring just a few quality ingredients. If you can master this, you’re halfway to being a domestic deity!

We are aiming for Perfect Shortbread Cookies here, the kind that crumble just right when you bite into them.

Before You Cook

Now, listen up, because this isn't like baking a sponge cake. With Shortbread Cookies Recipe , the prep is everything. You’ll see some rival recipes bang on about chilling for ages. I say, give your dough at least 60 minutes in the fridge.

That’s your golden benchmark. Why? Because if you rush the chill, your dough will spread like a politician on a dodgy promise, and you’ll end up with thin, greasy puddles instead of those lovely Crispy Shortbread Cookies . Another common pitfall? Bland flavour.

That’s down to using rubbish butter. Don't skimp here; the butter is the flavour.

Guided Cooking Sequence

This is the heartbeat of making those Easy Shortbread Cookies . Follow these steps, and you can’t go far wrong.

1. Get your oven dialled in to 325° F ( 160° C) . We want a gentle bake, not a bonfire.
2. In your mixer, beat the cold butter until it’s looking a bit smoother, but keep it cool don't turn it fluffy! Then bang in the sugar. Mix until they’ve just kissed each other, nothing more. You should hear the gentle whirr of the paddle, not an aggressive thump .
3. Tip in your sifted flour and salt. And here is the bit I learned the hard way years ago: STOP MIXING THE INSTANT THE FLOUR DISAPPEARS . If you keep going, you're developing gluten, which means tough cookies. You want a crumbly dough, like good potting soil.
4. If you’re cutting shapes for Shortbread Cookies For Decorating , wrap that dough up tight and get it chilling for the full hour. If you're going the traditional slab route (my personal preference for a Simple Shortbread Recipe ), press it into your prepared tin and prick it all over with a fork. That docking stops it puffing up like a dodgy soufflé.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes . Keep an eye on the edges. They should just start looking pale gold I mean pale . If they’re dark brown, you’ve gone too far.

Save-It Section

The great thing about Shortbread Cookies 3 Ingredient magic is how well they keep. Once they are totally stone cold, store them in an airtight tin. Honestly, they taste even better the next day once the butter flavour has settled in.

If you’re making Shortbread Cookies with Icing or Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate , wait until they are completely cooled before decorating, or you’ll have a melted mess.

Now, the dreaded emergency. If you taste a scrap and think, "Blimey, that's too salty," don't panic! If the dough is unbaked, mix in another teaspoon of plain flour and a tiny pinch of sugar.

If the cookies are already baked and you find them a bit dry (usually down to overbaking), a little dusting of icing sugar right before serving helps bring back some perceived moisture. You've got this!

Right then, let’s roll up our sleeves and get cracking on a truly foundational bake: Shortbread Cookies . These are the bedrock of biscuits, aren't they? Simple, elegant, and requiring just a few quality ingredients. If you can master this, you’re halfway to being a domestic deity!

This recipe strips baking down to its absolute essentials, celebrating the magnificent flavour of pure butter. Traditional shortbread relies on a simple ratio of butter, flour, and sugar.

The result is a cookie that is richly textured crisp on the edges, wonderfully crumbly (or "short," as the Scots say) in the middle, and intensely satisfying. Perfect with a proper cuppa tea. Honestly, this Simple Shortbread Recipe is a cracker.

Taste & Texture Upgrades

We are aiming for that melt-in-your mouth quality. Forget those dry, crumbly imposters you find in the big tins. For a chef level finish, try rolling the dough edges in very fine caster sugar just before baking. It gives a lovely little sugary crunch.

If you're looking to make Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate , don't bother dipping after baking. Instead, fold in about 100g of finely chopped dark chocolate chips right at the end of mixing. They melt beautifully and bake in, keeping the texture consistent.

Compared to some fancy recipes out there that call for cornflour or rice flour, this Shortbread Cookies Recipe sticks to the basics. I found those additions sometimes made the dough too dusty.

By keeping it strictly flour, butter, and sugar, we maximise that buttery punch, which is what makes Perfect Shortbread Cookies so famous.

Nutrition & Dietary Paths

Now, let’s be straight, these aren't diet food; they're happiness food. Per cookie (assuming 20 from the batch), you’re looking at about 170 calories and 9g of fat. That’s just the reality of using a whole cup of quality butter!

If you need to lighten things up, cutting the sugar down to 1/3 cup works, but the texture suffers slightly it won't be quite as tender. For a gluten free version, use a good quality 1:1 GF flour blend.

It works brilliantly, though you need to be extra gentle when chilling and handling the dough, as GF bakes can be a bit more fragile.

Serving & Pairing Ideas

Honestly, the best way to eat these is warm from the oven with a strong brew. That intoxicating aroma of melted butter is half the experience. If you're making these ahead for Christmas or a bake sale, they store wonderfully.

Keep them in an airtight tin for up to a week, or even longer if you manage to keep your mitts off them.

If you want to dress them up for parties, these are ideal Shortbread Cookies For Decorating . Once completely cool, use a simple icing sugar glaze or even melt some white chocolate for drizzling.

If you make the slab version and cut them into fingers, they are fantastic dipped in a rich, dark chocolate ganache. If you’re looking for something really decadent, try serving them with a scoop of high quality vanilla bean ice cream.

Trust me, that contrast between the warm, buttery crumb and the cold cream is pure magic.

Go on, give this Easy Shortbread Cookies recipe a go. You won't regret sticking to this classic foundation. Let me know how yours turn out!

If you're craving more ideas, explore Buttery Shortbread Sugar Cookies Easy Bake Off Treat , My MeltInYourMouth Soft Cut Out Sugar Cookies and My Secret MeltinYourMouth Soft Sugar Cookies Recipe .