Updated: Jan. 10, 2022
For the best shortbread, it's all about simplicity in ingredients and closely following each step. These instructions make it easy!
No one knows how to make the absolute best shortbread quite like the Scottish. They originated this treat centuries ago (it was a favorite of Mary, Queen of Scots). But what is the secret to getting that signature texture and flavor?
Quite simply: You let the dough dry out. Back in Mary’s time, bakers would let the dough rest in a warm oven. This dried out the dough a bit before it was baked at the proper temperature. See bakers back then found that by letting the dough dry out and rest, that the shortbread became lighter and sweeter.
How? Well, as the dough rests—be it in the ovens or yore or inside your refrigerator today—water evaporates from the dough (this water comes from the butter). Less water in the dough means that the sugar is more concentrated. And with only a few ingredients in traditional shortbread recipes, you want those flavors to stand out.
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How to Make Shortbread Cookies
Taste of Home
The absolute best shortbread cookie recipe—it’s contest-winning!—requires just three ingredients:
- 2 cups salted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 to 4-/12 cups flour
Step 1: Make a Simple Dough
To make this shortbread recipe, you can break out your hand or stand mixer to make quick work of the prep. However, a wooden spoon and your favorite mixing bowl will do just fine—and it’s definitely traditional. Start by creaming together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. For a simple recipe like this that doesn’t call for additional flavorings or salt, be sure to use salted butter to bump up the flavor. And use the best butter you can—this is our favorite.
After you’ve creamed your butter and sugar, add in 3-3/4 cups of flour and mix until combined. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface and add in the remaining flour until you have a soft dough.
Step 2: Shape the Shortbread Cookies
Lightly flour a work surface, and roll out the dough until it’s about a half inch thick. Cut into 3×1-inch strips. You can use a knife, a pizza cutter or a bench scraper to do this. Place about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and prick with a fork to get that signature Scottish shortbread cookie design.
Step 3: The Secret to the Absolute Best Shortbread
After shaping the cookies, don’t rush to the oven! Instead, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so (overnight is OK, too). A short stay in the fridge will firm up the cookies and solidify the butter. This will help keep them from spreading too much. Also, it helps concentrate those flavors for your best ever shortbread.
Step 4: Bake
Bake in a 325ºF oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Let the cookies cool on the pan for about five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
The result should be a nice, tender shortbread cookie. These cookies are good on their own, with a cup of coffee or, if you want to go the traditional route, a cup of tea.
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ShortbreadI live in Missouri, but many of our family recipes come from New Zealand, where I lived as a youngster. I proudly claim a Down Under heritage! These special-occasion cookies bring back warm and sweet memories of my childhood, and I'm going to make sure they're passed on to the next generation in my family—no matter where they live. —A. Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri
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Shortbread HeartsThese flaky cookies melt in your mouth. Dipped in chocolate, they look festive.—Barbara Birk, St. George, Utah
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Lemon Shortbread TreesHere's a fun holiday recipe children can help with. And no cookie cutters are needed! I just shape the dough into a triangular log, refrigerate it and cut it into tree-shaped slices to bake and decorate. Broken pretzel sticks form the tree trunks. —Phyllis Schmalz, Kansas City, Kansas
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Glazed Maple Shortbread CookiesWhenever I visit friends in Lutsen, Minnesota, I make sure to buy maple syrup there because I think it's even better than in Quebec. These delicious cookies can be decorated with sprinkles but they're just fine as is.—Lorraine Caland, Shuniah, Ontario
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Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Buttery 3-Ingredient Shortbread CookiesWith only a few ingredients, these butter shortbread cookies are so simple to prepare. —Pattie Prescott, Manchester, New Hampshire
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Cranberry Shortbread StarsMy family loves shortbread and I love cranberries, so I decided to put the two together to make cranberry shortbread cookies. The star shape is a festive addition to my holiday cookie tray. —Sonya Labbe, West Hollywood, California
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Scottish Shortbread Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Scottish ShortbreadMy mother, who is of Scottish heritage, passed this shortbread recipe, along with other favorite recipes, on to me. When I entered this treat at our local fair, it won a red ribbon. —Rose Mabee, Selkirk, Manitoba
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Whipped Shortbread Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Whipped Shortbread CookiesThese whipped shortbread cookies melt in your mouth. Mostly I make them for the holidays, but I'll also prepare them year-round for wedding showers and afternoon teas. —Jane Ficiur, Bow Island, Alberta
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Homemade Chocolate ShortbreadThis recipe has been in my files for a long time...probably from when I first learned to bake. Any chocolate lover will like these melt-in-your-mouth cookies. I make them year-round with variations. They're even richer with a thin coat of icing or as a sandwich cookie with frosting in the middle. —Sarah Bueckert, Austin, Manitoba
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Shortbread CutoutsI found this recipe in a magazine over 30 years ago and have made these shortbread cutout cookies for Christmas ever since. They're an oh-so-simple recipe to whip up during the hectic holidays. —Jean Henderson, Montgomery, Texas
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Light and buttery, these delicate shortbread cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good. The coconut flavor makes them extra special. —Roberta Otto, Duluth, Minnesota
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Carrot Cake ShortbreadI really love carrot cake and wanted to make a cookie that had the same flavors. These comforting cookies are just the ticket! Cinnamon, maple and vanilla make them perfect for the holidays. —Elisabeth Larsen, Pleasant Grove, Utah
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Crisp Lemon Shortbread Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Crisp Lemon ShortbreadFresh juice and zest pair up to give my buttery cookies a lemony pop. Sprinkle sugar on top for extra sparkle. —Marcia Whitney, Gainesville, Florida
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Chocolate Shortbread Trees Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Chocolate Shortbread TreesYou can use this rollout chocolate cookie dough to create all kinds of shapes and sizes, but I like to make trees because they are so easy to decorate. —Deirdre Cox, Kansas City, Missouri
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Scottish Shortbread CookiesThis simple three-ingredient shortbread cookie recipe makes wonderfully rich, tender cookies. Serve them with fresh berries of the season for a nice, light dessert. You'll get miles of smiles when friends see these at an afternoon tea or a bridal shower. —Marlene Hellickson, Big Bear City, California
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Candy Cane Shortbread BarsI created these bars for my daughter, who loves peppermint. The buttery shortbread texture just melts in your mouth. They're a hit wherever I take them. —Susan Ciuffreda, Huntersville, North Carolina
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Shortbread SquaresHere's a traditional shortbread recipe that's perfect with a cup of hot tea or coffee. It's a favorite during the holidays. —G. C. Mayhew, Grass Valley, California
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