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    Home » Dessert » Cookies

    Scottish Shortbread

    Published: Nov 28, 2021 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

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    Jump to Recipe
    plate full of Scottish shortbread biscuits on top of a Christmas linen on a white marble surface with Christmas trees in the background

    Incredibly buttery and melt in your mouth this Scottish shortbread is the perfect sweet treat. A wonderful homemade Christmas baked good to share with friends and family. Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this easy shortbread recipe.

    plate full of Scottish shortbread biscuits on top of a Christmas linen on a white marble surface with Christmas trees in the background

    Growing up my mom cooked and baked a lot, the two things she made most frequently were these shortbread cookies and this delicious scone recipe. We always had shortbread on special occasions. While we may not be from Scotland, we are from England and this is a true favorite of our families!

    Once you take your first bite of this shortbread you will fall in love with the texture. The butter coats your tongue and leaves a lingering warm sweet taste.  

    This is perfect served at an afternoon tea alongside my ever-so-easy cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches.

    scottish shortbread in a red tin on top of a rack on a white marble surface with red berries

    Let's get to the recipe

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • How to freeze
    • Can you double
    • More delicious British recipes
    • Recipe Card
    • Recipe Ratings & Comments

    Ingredients

    You'll only need a couple of things to make these delicious Scottish shortbread cookies!!

    • All-Purpose Flour. Also known as plain flour just make sure you measure it properly I highly suggest weighing your flour with a scale but you can use measuring cups!

    Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

    • Cold Butter. I prefer salted butter but you can use unsalted butter. The butter needs to be cold, so straight out of the fridge is perfect!
    • Granulated Sugar. You can also use caster sugar. The white sugar is used in the shortbread dough as well as sprinkled on top.
    • Salt. Just a smidge helps balance out the flavors.

    For the ingredient quantities jump to the recipe card.

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 350F/180C and get a quarter sheet pan you can also use a 9"X13" pan out no need to grease or line the baking sheet with parchment paper because of all the butter in the shortbread already.

    flour, sugar and salt in a metal bowl on a marble surface with a Christmas linen

    In the bowl of a stand electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a regular medium-sized bowl add the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine.

    Add the cold butter.

    cubed butter added to dry ingredients in a metal bowl on a marble surface with a Christmas linen

    Mix on low/medium speed until the butter is mixed in and pea-size pieces of butter are left OR mix by using your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. 

    hand holding shortbread mixture over the dough in a metal bowl on a white marble surface next to a Christmas linen

    If you grab a handful of the dough you should be able to squeeze it in your hand into one piece.

    hand pressing shortbread dough together into a clump on a marble surface with a Christmas linen

    Transfer the dough to the pan and press down evenly. Use a rolling pin or glass to roll the shortbread dough to ensure it's tightly in the pan.

    hand pressing shortbread dough into pan and a knife scoring it

    Using a butter knife score the shortbread, basically marking the shortbread - you are not cutting all the way through, into whichever size pieces you want. My mom always cut the shortbread into rectangles but you can do any shape! Scoring up, down, and across.

    Prick all over with a fork. If your fork sticks and pulls some of the shortbread up then gently use your clean finger next to the fork as you press down to kind of hold the shortbread in place.

    fork pricking shortbread and fingers pressing with the fork to prevent it from lifting up

    Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on edges. Once baked cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top and shake pan side to side to distribute evenly. Using a sharp knife cut on the previously scored marks while still warm then let cool completely.

    sugar topped on shortbread then cut into squares on a white marble surface

    Store shortbread in an airtight container. They will last for up to a week.

    Scottish shortbread cookies on a speckled plate on top of a Christmas linen on a white marble surface with a cup of coffee and Christmas trees

    Check out this post on my Cookie Baking Tips

    How to freeze

    Shortbread freezes beautifully. Let it cool completely then place in a freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Let thaw on the counter at room temperature for an hour or two.

    Can you double

    You can totally double the recipe and bake the shortbread bars in a half-sheet pan. In the recipe card below press the 2X button to double the ingredient quantities.

    More delicious British recipes

    These sausage rolls are the perfect appetizer for any party! Super easy and irresistible.

    While many think of Yorkshire puddings as an accompaniment to only beef they are also actually perfect with any roast dinner! We love them with turkey, chicken, or pork!

    There's no better dessert than Sticky Toffee Pudding, trust me!

    hand holding a piece of shortbread up close

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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    Recipe Card

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    plate full of Scottish shortbread biscuits on top of a Christmas linen on a white marble surface with Christmas trees in the background

    Scottish Shortbread

    ★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆

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    Incredibly buttery and melt in your mouth this Scottish shortbread is the perfect sweet treat. A wonderful homemade Christmas baked good to share with friends and family. Step-by-step photos teach you how to bake this easy shortbread recipe.

    • Total Time: 55 minutes
    • Yield: 30 Cookies 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 3 ¾ cups All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
    • Scant 1 cup Granulated Sugar/ Caster Sugar
    • ¼ Teaspoon Salt
    • 12oz Cold Butter, I prefer salted but you can use unsalted
    • 3-5 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar, for sprinkling on top

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C and get a quarter sheet pan or 9"X13" pan out no need to grease it.
    2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a regular medium-sized bowl add the flour, sugar, and salt. Mix just to combine, then add the cold cubed butter. Mix on low/medium speed until the butter is mixed in and pea-size pieces of butter are left OR mix by using your hands to rub the butter into the dry ingredients. If you grab a handful of the dough you should be able to squeeze it in your hand into one piece.
    3. Transfer the dough to the pan and press down evenly. Use a rolling pin or glass to roll the shortbread dough to ensure it's tightly in the pan. Using a butter knife score the shortbread, basically marking the shortbread - you are not cutting all the way through, into whichever size pieces you want. Scoring up, down, and across. Prick all over with a fork. If your fork sticks and pulls some of the shortbread up then gently use your clean finger next to the fork as you press down to kind of hold the shortbread in place.
    4. Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on edges. Once baked cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Sprinkle sugar on top and shake pan side to side to distribute evenly then while still warm cut on the previously scored marks. Once completely cool store them in an airtight container. Last for up to a week.

    Equipment

    quarter sheet pan

    Quarter Sheet Pan

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    kitchen aid cordless hand mixer

    Cordless Hand Mixer

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    kitchen aid stand mixer

    KitchenAid Stand Mixer 6 Quart

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    oxo food scale

    OXO Kitchen Scale

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    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson I Confessions of a Baking Queen
    • Prep Time: 10
    • Cook Time: 45
    • Category: Dessert
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: Scottish

    Keywords: how to make shortbread, easy shortbread recipe, english shortbread

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

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    1. Aderonke Kosoko says

      December 30, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      Good evening ma'am, savoury pastries pweeeeez! More of these recipes!

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        December 30, 2021 at 10:33 pm

        Hi Aderonke! I will be sure to add some savory pastries to the to-bake list!! Hope you give the shortbread a try! XX Liz

        Reply
    2. Susan M says

      February 05, 2022 at 6:10 am

      I’m getting ready to make this recipe. You indicated that it’s best to weigh my ingredients, but there are no weight measures in the recipe - only cup measurements. How many grams/ounces of each ingredient t do I need?

      Reply
      • Elizabeth Waterson says

        February 05, 2022 at 9:57 am

        Hi, Susan thanks for reaching out. On the recipe card, you will see buttons labeled Units US and M if you click the M it converts it to metric measurements. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz

        Reply

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    plate full of Scottish shortbread biscuits on top of a Christmas linen on a white marble surface with Christmas trees in the background
    elizabeth mixing frosting

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

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