Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe

User Reviews

4.7

1,113 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    15 mins

  • Cook Time

    15 mins

  • Total Time

    30 mins

  • Servings

    30 cookies

  • Calories

    178 kcal

  • Course

    Dessert

  • Cuisine

    North American

Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe

Recipe video above. These are the shortbread cookies I've loved since childhood. They differ from Scottish Shortbread as these cookies are incredibly soft - like little pillows. The secret to making these wonderfully soft cookies is to add cornstarch to the batter and whip the cookie dough until it resembles whipped cream. My mom always adds a little maraschino cherry on top of hers, but I prefer to use a dried cranberry. You could press in a chocolate chip or even leave them as is.

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Ingredients

Servings
  • 3 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 2 cups salted butter at room temperature - see notes
  • 1 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ ½ cup cornstarch
  • 1 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries for garnish
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Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Position your oven rack in the middle of your oven.
  2. Add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla to a deep mixing bowl.
  3. Begin mixing the ingredients using electric beaters at their lowest speed. Once the dry ingredients begin mixing with the butter and are not dusty anymore, increase the speed to medium.
  4. A few minutes later, the dough will start to look like sand. Keep beating the dough for another 3-4 minutes and it will start to come together.
  5. Once the dough comes together and your beaters start straining, increase the speed to high and beat the dough for another 1-2 minutes, or until it resembles thick whipped cream.
  6. Drop the dough into small mounds (about 2-3 tablespoons) on a baking sheet. If using, gently press a dried cranberry into the tops of the cookies then bake for 15 minutes. It is best to bake one sheet of cookies at the same time. Use a new sheet pan for the next batch. The cookie dough must be added to a cool baking sheet.
  7. Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes then use an offset spatula or slotted fish spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Notes

  • This recipe works best with salted butter. Remember to let it soften to room temperature before you use it. If you only have unsalted butter, make sure to add 1 teaspoon of kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of table salt to the batter.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1 cookie Calories 178kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 1g (2%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 33mg (11%) Sodium 109mg (5%) Potassium 17mg (0%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 378IU (8%) Calcium 6mg (1%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 30cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 178 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 cookie
Calories 178kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 1g 2%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Potassium 17mg 0%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 378IU 8%
Calcium 6mg 1%
Iron 1mg 6%

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

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1,113 reviews
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