Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
User Reviews
4.7
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Total Time
30 mins
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Servings
30 cookies
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Calories
178 kcal
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Course
Dessert
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Cuisine
North American
Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Description
This shortbread cookie recipe starts by mixing all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and powdered sugar with generously softened salted butter and vanilla extract. Beating the ingredients first at low speed disperses the flour, then increasing to medium and high speed produces a dough with a light, whipped cream-like consistency. This process ensures tenderness in the finished cookies.
Portioning the dough into small mounds and optionally pressing a candied cherry or dried cranberry on top provides an attractive appearance and subtle fruity note. Baking at 350°F for about 15 minutes yields pale golden cookies with a firm but crumbly texture characteristic of shortbread. These cookies are delicate and rich, not overly sweet, focusing on buttery flavor and a soft crumb.
Salted butter is recommended to balance sweetness; if only unsalted butter is used, adding kosher salt or table salt to the dough helps approximate the intended flavor. This recipe produces classic shortbread cookies suitable for plain enjoyment or garnished variations, best served freshly baked but also storing well.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups butter at room temperature - see notes, salted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- candied cherry for garnish, colored; or dried cranberry
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Position your oven rack in the middle of your oven.
- Add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla to a deep mixing bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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, which balances the sweetness and enhances flavor.
- Allow butter to soften to room temperature before mixing to achieve the right dough texture.
- If using unsalted butter, add 1 teaspoon kosher salt or ½ teaspoon table salt to the batter to compensate.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition 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.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
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