Shortbread Recipe
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Shortbread is one of Mama’s favorite cookies ever. It’s the perfect cookie recipe to share in our 12 Days of Cookies series, I think. It’s perfect for making to keep on hand throughout the holiday season and always makes a cherished gift when given to friends, family, teachers, and neighbors.
As a little girl, I remember Mama stocking up on Walker’s shortbread whenever our local grocery store, the Jitney Jungle, had it through the holidays. She kept it on the top shelf of our pantry as her special cookies when guests were over. I remember its placement especially because it was out of my reach even when I drug over a stool from the counter and tried to climb high enough to reach them.
But, at Christmas, she would also make shortbread from time to time. To me, it tasted better than any shortbread I ever tasted. Each buttery, crumbly bite was better than the next it seemed.
I still love to go into the kitchen with Mama during the holidays and make shortbread. It makes the perfect little nibble to enjoy with a warm cup of tea or coffee on these chilly afternoons. Dunking each cookie or wedge makes for a special treat.
I think you might just love it, too. You can easily make our shortbread recipe into wedges as shown or rolled and sliced into individual cookies. Either way, they always turn out delicious each time we make them.
Here’s our Shortbread recipe. It is a classic in my family.
Shortbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) salted butter, , softened + extra to butter the pan
- 3/4 cup (85 g) confectioner’s sugar, whisked
- 1 teaspoon (1 g) kosher salt
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300º F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar until it is smooth and well-combined, not fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer.
- Add flour and salt to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until just combined.
- Press shortbread dough into the bottom of tart pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and pat the dough until it is smooth. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the refrigerator and cut a hole in the center of the dough with a small round cookie cutter, approximately 1-inch in diameter. Discard the round.
- Cut dough into wedges and prick the dough all over with a large bamboo skewer. Bake for 1 hour or until the shortbread is firm has turned a golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before removing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
hi i have never had short bread but it sounds so great i would love to try it but i dont have a mixer so love every thing you make!
Shortbread is the best and I love the wedges!
This is my mom’s favorite cookie as well!! I have almost identical memories of the Walker’s cookies. 🙂 Although I must admit, we never made it ourselves. I really love this and am going to try to make these for the holidays!!
Those look lovely! I’ve never made shortbread before.
This may be an inexperienced question but why must you cut a middle circle out?
Hi Emma,
My Mama said she has always cut the middle circle out for even baking, etc. I have always just followed right along with how she made it, so I can’t really tell you a difference it makes by leaving it in. If you try it without removing the middle, do let me know if you don’t mind.
Robyn xo
Your shortbread looks perfect and I love that you made it in a tart pan. It looks so fancy when it’s cut into wedges like you did!
Can I use unsalted butter in this and if so do I need to add more salt?
Hi Shiloa,
We like the flavor from the salted butter plus the added salt called for in the recipe, but I completely understand that some prefer baking with unsalted butter. You can substitute unsalted butter and then add back about 1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt, if you prefer.
My little hometown in Alabama had a Jitney Jungle too! Now you’ve inspired me to make a batch of Shortbread cookies but as for discarding that little center circle…I don’t think so! Plop into my mouth!!…a treat before a treat!
Oh Terry, you caught me. I discard straight into my mouth as a “taste-test”. Otherwise, I plop it onto a second buttered little pan and bake for a little cookie! Hope you love these. And too cool about your having a Jitney Jungle, too. I miss that store!
this is exactly what I was thinking when I saw the word “discard”!!!
We love shortbread at our house, too! Thanks for sharing and the gift giving suggestion….everyone loves a homebaked gift!
Oh wow, Robyn! This looks delicious. Shortbread is a favorite of mine too. I want to try and make it with my gluten-free flours. What a treat that would be to eat shortbread again!! That would be a beautiful thing! Thanks for the recipe. The pictures of the shortbread are just wonderful, very detailed.