Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Shortbread Dough
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 115 g caster sugar
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 2 g salt
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g cornstarch
Decoration
- 50 g coarse sparkling sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 137 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 7 g
- Sodium
- 34 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 20 mg
- Potassium
- 14 mg
- Calcium
- 4 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 3 mg
- Phosphorus
- 14 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 64 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.01 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 3 mcg
- Water
- 3 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the softened unsalted butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl. Cream them together until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy.
Add the vanilla extract and salt to the creamed butter mixture, mixing briefly just to incorporate.
Sift the all-purpose flour and cornstarch into the bowl. Fold gently until the dry ingredients are fully absorbed and the mixture comes together to form a cohesive dough. Do not overmix.
Place the dough on a large sheet of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to an even thickness of about 8 millimeters. Cut into desired shapes using a cookie cutter or slice into rectangles with a sharp knife.
Transfer the parchment paper holding the cut cookies onto a baking sheet. Chill the dough in the refrigerator to firm up the butter, which prevents spreading during baking.
While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F.
Remove the firm cookies from the refrigerator. Sprinkle the coarse sparkling sugar evenly over the tops, pressing down very lightly so the sugar crystals adhere to the surface.
Bake the cookies in the preheated 160°C/320°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Watch them carefully to ensure they do not overbake; they should remain quite pale.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the fragile cookies to rest and firm up on the hot pan for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute best flavor and texture, use a premium European-style butter with a higher butterfat content, as butter provides the primary flavor profile of this recipe.
- The addition of cornstarch inhibits gluten formation by diluting the wheat proteins, providing the characteristic melt-in-the-mouth crumb that elevates a standard shortbread to a professional level.
- Do not let the shortbread brown fully in the oven. Traditional shortbread should remain delightfully pale in the center with only the most subtle golden hue at the outer edges.
- If you want to prepare these well in advance, you can freeze the unbaked, cut cookie shapes directly on the tray, then transfer them to a freezer bag. You can bake them straight from frozen by adding an extra 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 weeks — Store in an airtight container to maintain crispness.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze baked cookies or unbaked cut dough portions layered between parchment paper in an airtight container.
Troubleshooting
Cookies spread out and lost their shape during baking
Cause: The butter became too warm or the dough was not chilled adequately before entering the hot oven
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully baked, but spreading edges can be trimmed with a sharp knife immediately after removing from the oven while the cookies are still soft
Prevention: Ensure the cut dough is chilled for at least 30 minutes until completely rigid to the touch before baking
Cookies are tough rather than tender and crumbly
Cause: The dough was overmixed after the flour was added, causing gluten development
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Fold the flour in gently and stop mixing the exact moment no dry streaks remain
Cultural Context
Shortbread originated in Scotland as early as the 12th century, evolving from medieval biscuit bread. By the time of Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century, the recipe had been refined into a delicate, highly-prized buttery treat reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Hogmanay. Today, its rich, comforting simplicity makes it a globally beloved holiday staple.
