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4.9 from 90 votes

Amazing Scottish Shortbread

Perfect for any time of day, this recipe delivers great flavor effortlessly.

Prep Time
1 hr 15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 33 mins
Servings: 24 or so depending on size
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 4 ticks salted butter room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat the butter, vanilla and powdered sugar together with an electric mixer (use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, if using) until combined.
  2. Gradually add the all-purpose flour, cake flour and salt and mix until just combined (don't over mix the dough).
  3. Press the dough into a rectangle shape about 1 1/2 inches high (see pictures below) on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. The dough can e refrigerated for several days. Alternately, if you want to cut the shortbread into different shapes (other than a thin rectangle), press the dough into a disc-shape and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (similar to how you would do it if refrigerating sugar cookie dough or a pie crust).
  4. Once firm, take a large, sharp knife or the straight edge of a bench scraper and cut the long rectangle dough into 1/4-inch slices (again, see picture below). If the cookies aren't perfectly straight not he edges, press them into an even shape or trim the edges. Otherwise, roll the dough out on a lightly floured countertop to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
  5. Place the cut cookies about 1-inch apart on a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Prick each cookie a few times with the tines of a fork.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes until lightly golden around the edges, increasing or decreasing the baking time as needed. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes after removing from the oven before sliding to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. The shortbread can be stored covered at room temperature for several days.

Notes

  • Cake Flour: cake flour helps this shortbread be amazingly light and tender. If you don't have any on hand, here's a quick DIY: How to Make Cake Flour.
  • Rice Flour: if you want to get especially adventurous, substitute rice flour for the cake flour - it makes the shortbread even lighter and more crisp.
  • Thickness: I like to make the shortbread thin and delicate but you could cut it much thicker (upwards of 3/4-inch thick); increase the baking time to nearly double if doing so.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Shortbread Calories 232kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 40mg (13%) Sodium 159mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 7g (14%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24or so depending on size

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Shortbread
Calories 232kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 40mg 13%
Sodium 159mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 7g 14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.