Easy Shortbread Cookies

Easy shortbread cookies

1. Place the butter and salt in the mixer bowl, and mix on medium speed until creamy (using a paddle beater) - about 2 - 4 minutes. You an use a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer.
2. Add the sugar and mix until the sugar and butter are well mixed, and the mix is nice and creamy - about 1 - 2 minutes. If you're using any flavoring, add it to the mixture along with the sugar. 
3. Add the AP flour and rice flour (if using) and MIX ON LOW (or the stir setting), until the flour is mixed in with the butter-sugar mix, and the dough forms clumps. Do NOT overmix, as this can make the cookies tough and chewy. 
4. Using floured hands OR a spatula - bring the mix together to form a cohesive dough (fold the dough over 2 - 3 times to help bring it together). Then flatten the dough into a disc shape.
5. Place the dough disc in a gallon-size ziploc bag, on a flat, smooth surface. Without closing and sealing the bag, gently roll the dough using a rolling pin, maintaining an even thickness throughout the dough. Press / roll the dough into the bottom end of the ziploc bag and form a roughly 10.5 x 9 inch rectangle, that's about ½ inch thick. Keep the bag open while you do this to allow excess air to escape, so you can easily roll out the dough to an even thickness.
6. Once the dough has been rolled out, close the bag, removing as much air as possible in the process. Carefully place it on a sheet pan or flat plate. Then transfer this to the fridge to chill for about 30 - 60 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough to cut through.
7. Next, carefully remove the dough disc from the ziploc bag. Place the dough on a parchment paper on a smooth surface, and then using a sharp knife - trim the edges to get a rectangle (about 10 x 8 ¾ inches).
8. Cut the dough length-wise, along the middle, to get two slabs of dough - each approximately 10 x 4 inches.
9. Using a sharp knife OR a crinkle cutter - cut shortbread fingers that are about 1 inch in width. With a straight knife, you should get about 20 cookies, and with a crinkle cutter you may get about 18 - 20 cookies depending on how you cut them.
10. Using a fork or toothpick - pierce each cookie in a pattern on top (see pictures in the post). Transfer the parchment paper with the cookies onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for another 30 - 60 minutes, until the cookies are chilled. Sometimes, I cover the pan and keep it in the fridge overnight as well at this point. 
11. Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. When the cookies are ready to be baked, place the cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, about 1 inch apart (you may need to use 2 half sheet pans for all the cookies).
12. Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes, or just until the bottom edges of the cookies are starting to color. Make sure to check on the cookies every few minutes.
13. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool.
14. Repeat with the second sheet pan of shortbread cookies. Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container.

Scottish shortbread cookies

1. Once the dough has been shaped into a disc, and placed inside a gallon-size ziploc bag, gently press the dough to form a circle that's roughly about 7 inches in diameter, and evenly thick.
2. Butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. Place the dough in the prepared springform pan. Press the dough to fill the cake pan, while making sure the thickness is even throughout.
4. Optional - you can make the edge of the dough a little thicker than the rest, and pinch it to make a fluted edge. This is just an optional decorating idea for your Scottish shortbread cookies.
5. Using a sharp knife - cut the dough into 8 wedges while still in the pan, and pierce the dough using a fork or a toothpick in a pattern (see pictures in the post).
6. Place the dough in the fridge to chill for about 1 hour, or longer.
7. Preheat your oven to 325°F / 163°C. Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake the cookies for about 45 - 60 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. A 9 inch pan may only take 40 - 45 minutes, and an 8 inch pan may take up to 60 minutes.
8. Remove the pan from the oven. Run a small flat knife along the edge of the pan and carefully remove the springform pan collar from the base. Use a sharp or a serrated knife to cut the shortbread cookies into wedges (along the cuts you made before). Use a spatula to carefully lift the cookies and place them on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan and return the cookies to the oven for a further 10 - 15 minutes until the edges are set. You don’t want the cut edges to color, so keep an eye on them.
9. Remove from the oven, and allow them to cool. Serve at room temperature.