Easy Shortbread Recipe
Shortbread is one of those classic and comforting cookies that is so hard not to love. It’s crumbly and buttery texture make it irresistible – especially when it’s homemade! That’s why I’ve decided to create a recipe for my family’s favorite Easy Shortbread Recipe.
Whether you need to to bake for a holiday gathering, a school bake sale, or just for something nice to have in the house then this will be just what you’re looking for.
It’s a recipe that myself and my daughter often bake together, especially when we have guests visiting or she needs something to bring into school.
We’ll walk you through exactly what you’re going to need and the steps you’ll follow for this recipe. So keep reading and some yummy shortbread is likely to be in your future!
What You Will Need
One of the great things about shortbread is it’s simplicity. Here’s a list of the ingredients you’ll need:
1 cup of unsalted butter, softened (225g)
1/2 of granulated sugar (100g)
2 cups of plain or all-purpose flour (250g)
1/4 tsp of salt
Optional: 1 tsp of vanilla extract, or an extra sprinkle of sugar for the top before baking
Tip: To soften your butter, remove it from the fridge about 30 mins – 1 hour before using.
Then just grab some basic kitchen equipment. A bowl, a whisk (electric or hand), a mixing spoon, a rolling pin, cookie cutters, a baking tray, and some parchment paper.
And that’s all you are going to need! At its simplest, it’s just four ingredients.
This means it’s a great recipe for any level of baker, whether you’re just beginning and trying out a new skill, or you have done lots of baking before. For me personally, it’s a recipe I love to make with my daughter. It’s simple enough she could probably manage by herself, but it makes it more fun to do it together!
How to Download the Recipe
You can of course just follow the recipe on this page. However, if you would prefer it or want to keep a copy for the future then you can download the recipe easily. Just follow these steps:
1. Click on the recipe card image. This will open a larger version of it.
2. Click the download button to save it to your computer or device.
3. You can then access it whenever you need it, or even print it out to have a paper copy!
Steps to Make These Easy Shortbread
Here are the steps to baking these shortbread cookies. It’s so simple and something that’s really fun to do with the family.
Step 1. Prepare your kitchen and your ingredients. Importantly, preheat your oven to 325°F (or 160°C). If you want to be organized then you can also line a baking tray with parchment paper at this point.
Step 2. Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a bowl. You can do this either by hand or with an electric mixer – if doing it by hand it’s great to have extra ones to help out! You’re looking to get the mixture to a smooth and fluffy texture.
Step 3. If using it, add the vanilla extract and mix it in.
Step 4. Sift in your dry ingredients – the flour and salt. Stir these in until it begins to come together into a soft dough. It’ll be different from the traditional bread dough you might be familiar with, and thicker than a classic cookie dough.
Step 5. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out. This is another great way that kids can get involved – grab them a stool if they need it and get them to start rolling! You want it to be around 1/2 inch (1.2cm) thick. Watch out for the dough falling apart too much – you should be able to press it back together with some clean fingers.
Step 6. Shape or cut it into cookies! Either use a knife or cookie cutters to get them into the shape you want. We’d recommend them all being similar so they’ll bake evenly.
Step 7. Place the cookies onto a parchment lined baking tray.
Step 8. This is optional, but you can then pop this tray into the fridge for anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes. This will help them hold their shape when they go into the oven.
Step 9. Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes (if you wish, sprinkle with a little sugar first). You want them to be golden at the edges. They’ll continue to firm up a little when you take them out of the oven so don’t worry if they don’t seem fully ready when you take them out.
Step 10. Let them cool – leave them on the tray for 5 minutes but then move them to a cooling rack. When cooled (or even before if you can’t bear to wait!) then dig in and enjoy!
Ideas to Get Creative with my Recipe
Although the classic shortbread recipe is one that everyone in my household loves and appreciates, it can also be fun to change it up from time to time.
Of course there’s already the optional addition of vanilla extract or a little sugar sprinkled over the top. But there are so many other things you could do, like:
Add chocolate chips or even nuts into the dough
Add some lemon zest into the dough to make lemon shortbread
After baking and when fully cooled, melt some chocolate and dip half of the cookie into it
Make them into jam sandwich cookies – take two cookies, cover one with jam and then pop the other one on top
Get different colored frosting pens and decorate them. The kids love this one!
Loved Making Our Easy Shortbread?
You’re in for a chocolatey treat. If you had fun whipping up our easy shortbread recipe, just wait until you try our super simple, ultra gooey chocolate brownie recipe. It’s fudgy, fun, and full of yum! Whether you’re baking with little hands or just want a quick sweet fix, this brownie recipe is a chocoholic’s dream come true.
Get ready to mix, bake, and maybe even sneak a bite of batter—no judgment here!
