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Freshly baked butter shortbread cookies
Simple homemade cookie, perfect for tea time

Classic Butter Shortbread Cookies

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Cakes and Desserts
The secret to perfect shortbread is, paradoxically, 'shortening' the gluten. A large amount of butter coats the flour particles, preventing tough gluten strands from forming when moisture is added. This results in the characteristic crumbly, sandy texture that melts in your mouth.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 12 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr 2 mins
🍽️ Servings 20 servings
🔥 Calories 90 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Scottish, International

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Hand mixer: To cream the butter.
  • Refrigerator: For resting the dough (critical!).

Allergen Information

⚠️ Wheat
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Egg

Instructions

1 ✓

Cream the soft butter with the confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy.

Tip: This process traps tiny air bubbles in the fat, lightening the dough.
2 ✓

Add the egg yolk, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.

Tip: The yolk emulsifies the dough for richness, but we skip the white to avoid toughness.
3 ✓

Sift in the flour and mix just until a dough forms. Do NOT overwork!

Tip: Kneading activates gluten, which makes shortbread hard and chewy.
4 ✓

Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.

Tip: The butter needs to firm up again for the dough to be manageable.
5 ✓

Roll out, cut into shapes, and return to the fridge on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before baking.

Tip: Cold dough holds its shape better in the hot oven.
6 ✓

Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just start to turn golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip: They are soft when warm but achieve their crumbly texture as the butter recrystallizes upon cooling.

Recipe FAQ

Why did the cookies spread?
The dough was too warm when it went into the oven, melting the butter before the cookie set. Always chill shaped cookies before baking!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1.5 sticks Unsalted Butter (6 oz), room temp
  • 2/3 cup Confectioners' Sugar
  • 1 tsp Real Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 large Egg Yolk (optional but recommended)