Scottish Shortbread Cookies

4.94 from 61 votes

Classic Scottish shortbread cookies are buttery, soft, and melt in your mouth! This easy recipe is shortbread at its purest, containing nothing but butter, flour, sugar and a pinch of salt.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

chill20

Total Time50

Course: Cookie

Cuisine: British

Servings: biscuits

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Cynthia

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine kosher salt don't use table salt or it will be too salty!
8 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tablespoons sanding sugar optional, for dusting on cooked shortbread

Instructions

Cream butter until light and fluffy.
Slowly add sugar, scraping down sides.
Mix flour and salt together. Add flour all at once, mix just until incorporated. Do not over-mix!
Using your hands, pat into a cookie sheet, about 1/2" thick.
Trim edges to make neat sides. Using a knife slice into rectangles about 2"x1". Prick with a fork three times on each rectangle. Put rectangles on a cookie sheet.
For best results, chill shortbread for 20 minutes. This will help them retain their shape.
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 325* F. The shortbread should be pale and light golden. Dust with sanding sugar if desired as soon as they are pulled from the oven.
Makes about 3 dozen.

Notes

Notes:

chill the dough for 15-20 minutes before baking.
the quality of ingredients is important, use the best sweet cream butter you can afford.
If you are using salted butter. DO NOT add additional salt. If you do not have kosher salt, which is less salty that regular salt, use less.
some recipes call for granulated sugar..some call for cornstarch. Confectioner's sugar is both mixed together

Nutrition