Soft and Buttery Scottish shortbread cookies
Oh my! Shortbread cookies are one of my favourites. They don’t look particularly fancy but the taste and texture is perfection. They are so soft and just melt in your mouth! Shortbread cookies are easy to make with just a few kitchen staples.
How to store shortbread
Freezing shortbread cookies
Shortbread cookies store very well in the freezer. To freeze the cookies, cool them to room temperature. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours. Then transfer them to an air-tight container and store in the freezer for 3-4 months. When you are ready to use them, store them on the counter. Let them come back up to room temperature before serving.
Freezing shortbread dough
Shortbread dough freezes very well. Press the dough out into the pan, or mold, before freezing. When you are ready to make your cookies, you can bake them from frozen.
Shortbread in the refrigerator
Shortbread cookies store very well in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. For optimal freshness, store up to 10 days.
Shortbread dough, should be stored in the refrigerator. Before baking shortbread cookies the dough needs to chill for a few hours in the refrigerator. This will help the cookies hold their shape. You can store shortbread dough in the refrigerator for a week, if needed. When you are ready to bake the cookies, you can use the dough straight from the refrigerator.
Storing shortbread on the countertop
Shortbread cookies, can be stored in an air-tight container right on your counter top. Since they are a simple cookie, and do not contain perishable items like eggs, fruit, or milk, they will keep fresh for up to 7 days.
When are shortbread cookies served?
Many people consider shortbread a classic Christmas cookie. Really, shortbread can be served any time of year! It is a perfect snack to have on the side of coffee or tea. It is not an overly fancy cookie with layers of icing. Which makes it a perfect simple, and delicious, treat.
Sugar
What sugar to use for shortbread cookies. Icing sugar, white sugar, or brown sugar. Well, this is really dependant on the recipe. The sugar does change the texture and the flavour of the cookies, in the end.
Most recipes for shortbread contain at least some icing sugar, due to its soft texture. I have made cookies with a mixture of icing sugar and either brown or white sugar. To be honest, I couldn’t really tell the difference between the cookies with brown or white sugar. The icing sugar gives it a really soft melt in your mouth texture, so there should be at least some in a really good shortbread recipe, in my opinion.
Dusting sugar– Although not necessary, I always dust the top of my shortbread cookies with 1-2 Tablespoons of white sugar. I love the added texture I lends to the soft, buttery, cookies! To ensure the sugar sticks to the top of your cookies, dust them with white sugar as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
Trouble shooting
Why did my shortbread cookies spread?
This is a common problem when baking shortbread cookies. There are two ways, I have found, to fix this.
- Cook the dough before cutting it into cookies. This may seem strange, but it works perfectly, for me, every time! Press your dough out into a pan or mould. During baking, it has nowhere to spread! As soon as you remove it from the oven, precut into cookies, but only about 1/3 of the way through. Once the cookies are fully cool, remove them from the pan, they will break apart exactly where you made the cuts. Perfectly shaped cookies every time!
- If you choose to form them into cookies before baking, you will need to chill the dough first before baking. Either by placing them in the refrigerator 2-3 hours before baking or in the freezer for 45 minutes.
My shortbread cookies are crumbling
This is typically a problem with your dough being too dry, or not leaving the cookies to cool on the tray before moving them.
- When making shortbread, the dough should not be so dry that you can not easily clump it together and it holds its’ shape. To fix this you will need to add more butter, a little at a time, until it will hold together.
- Shortbread cookies harden as they cool. At the beginning, the cookies are quite delicate. They will break and crumble if you try to move them from the tray. Leave the cookies on the tray, to fully cool, before moving them. This typically takes about 30 minutes. If your cookies are larger, it may take longer.
Can I make shortbread without cornstarch/corn flour?
Yes! cornstarch really just makes a softer texture in your finished cookies. If you would like to omit this ingredient, I have two great flavoured shortbread recipes Mint slice and bake Christmas Cookies Orange and Cardamom Christmas Shortbread
Ingredient for Scottish Shortbread Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup icing sugar
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup softened butter
1-2 Tablespoons white sugar (For dusting)
Method
- In a large bowl, mix to combine the flour, icing sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
- Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the dry mixture.
- Cut the butter into the dough until it resembles coarse crumbs. Kind of like you would pie crust. Rub it with the dry mixture in between your fingers, until it is all mixed in.
- As the dough starts to form, start to squish it into clumps with your hands, until the dough just comes together. Don’t overmix the dough or it will not be as tender.
- Press the dough into an lined rectangular cake pan, casserole dish, or molds.
- Poke holes, with a fork, over the top of the dough, (this will ensure even baking).
- Chill the dough, while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Bake the cookies 25-30 minutes, or until it just starts to colour.
- As soon as you remove from the oven, dust with 1-2 Tablespoons of white sugar.
- While the dough is still hot, partially cut into rectangular cookies about 1/3 of the way through.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely. (About 30 minutes)
- The cookies should easily come apart into the precut rectangles!
- If you are using a mold, make sure the cookies are completely cooled, before gently removing them.
Soft and Buttery Scottish shortbread cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1-2 Tbsp white sugar for dusting
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix to combine the flour, icing sugar, salt, and cornstarch.
- Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the dry mixture.
- Cut the butter into the dough until it resembles coarse crumbs. Kind of like you would pie crust.
- As the dough starts to form, start to squish it into clumps with your hands, until the dough just comes together. Don't overmix the dough or it will not be as tender.
- Press the dough into an lined 8-in. square pan, casserole dish, or molds.
- Poke holes over the top of the dough, with a fork. (This will ensure even baking.)
- Chill the dough, while you preheat the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃).
- Bake the cookies 25-30 minutes, or until it just starts to colour.
- As soon as you remove from the oven, dust with 1-2 Tablespoons of white sugar.
- While the dough is still hot, partially cut into rectangular cookies, about ⅓ of the way through.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely, (about 30 minutes).
- The cookies should now easily come apart into the precut rectangles!
- If using a mold, wait for it to be completely cool before removing the cookies.
Let’s keep baking cookies! These are some of my favourite! Mint slice and bake Christmas Cookies The best soft and chewy gingerbread cookies Homemade, Oreo Inspired, Sandwich Cookies Autumn Spice Decorated Sugar Cookies
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