Shortbread Cookies

Photo Credit
Lilyana Vynogradova/shutterstock
The Editors
Category
Cookies and Bars
Course
Desserts
Occasions
Christmas
New Year's Day
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
Favorite New England Recipes

A great shortbread cookie has a mouthwateringly buttery taste and a crumbly texture. Homemade is far better than store-bought, with real butter flavor and a more tender and delicate texture. Enjoy with coffee or serve at a tea party!

Some folks have asked about the rice flour. Shortbread is often made with a combination of rice flour and normal flour, and sometimes you see recipes with cornflour (cornstarch). Rice flour makes the shortbread a little more tender, though some people can’t discern the difference. If you do not have rice flour, you can certainly substitute with plain/all-purpose flour. 

While shortbreads can be baked into fingers, we also like the circle or “petticoat” style, which is divided into slices.

Ingredients
3 cups sifted flour (plain/all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 pound salted butter, softened
6 tablespoons sugar (castor or superfine)
pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions

Set oven to 400°F. 

Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flours together and add salt if you’re using unsalted butter. Ideally, sift the dry ingredients a couple times. Cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon. Add the sifted ingredients and mix by hand until you have a soft dough. Be careful not to knead and overhandle or the shortbread won’t have as delicate a taste.

Shape into medium-thick, round cakes the size of a saucer, place on cookie sheets, prick with a fork, and flute the edges.

  • Or, press into a large circle about 8 to 10 inches across and about 3/4 inch thick. Mark out 16 ‘slices’ with a knife (just don’t cut all the way through) and put this on the cookie sheets. Or you can use any round cake pan. Prick dough with a fork and flute the edges with your thumb and forefinger.
  • Or, instead of a large circle, you can press the dough into squares and smaller circles the size of a saucer.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight cookie tin or container.

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The Old Farmer's Editors

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Comments

Michelle Hebbard (not verified)

6 years 10 months ago

I make, "Scotch Cake's", every year, right after Thanksgiving. I don't allow mine to, " brown", at all. Pale in color. The secret to the BEST flavor is to HIDE them in a cool, dark place and let them AGE!! Without the aging you just DON'T have the amazing flavor. Bring them out at Christmas.

Laura J. Smith (not verified)

6 years 11 months ago

Have never seen a shortbread recipe baked at 400 degrees as this recipe indicates. Is this correct ??