Sugared Shortbread Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Cynthia

I adore this recipe and have made it many times. I make my own rice flour by whizzing white rice in a Magic Bullet. I can't get it uniformly powdery, which is a good thing: I love the tiny bits of raw rice in the finished shortbread. They lend an irresistible crunchy texture. The other bonus to this recipe is how ridiculously easy it is. Be sure to slice the shortbread while it is warm. If you wait until it cools, you'll have a pile of shattered shards, albeit a delicious pile.

RLIZA

Easy and simple, delish. Next time, I'll rub some lemon zest with the sugar before mixing it in the flour for some fresh lemon flavor (a Dorrie Greenspan baking process I've tried).

Patsy

I can't stop making these. Is there a 12 step program to to help me with this? These are fantastic!

Nick

Great recipe. Call me crazy, but I'm certain the flavor and texture improved after I let the finished shortbread fingers sit in a sealed container overnight.

HK

Given that this recipe already calls for melted butter, I made this using Kate Zuckerman's method of browning butter with a vanilla bean (e.g. https://www.cookstr.com/recipes/whipped-brown-butter-and-vanilla-birthda.... It was spectacular.

Megs

Used fine almond flour instead of rice flour, and was delicious.Noticed description states sugar on top and bottom of cookie - should we also sprinkle pan before pressing dough?

lynn liccardo

easy to scale down (knew i couldn't trust myself with the whole thing:).

added a slug of vanilla extract to 1/2 recipe and baked in my 8-inch cast iron skillet for 25 minutes @ 350-degrees. perfect.

next time, i'm going to try it with a salted, cultured butter (see melissa's cultured butter cookies), and maybe sub turbinado sugar for granulated.

Linda

This is the easiest and best shortbread recipe I’ve tried. I don’t change a thing. I use parchment, lift it out of the pan immediately and then slice before they cool. I roll each piece in sugar while still hot and it sticks very well.

Dianne

I'm going to guess no, you were right not to add tahini on this occasion. And also yes, you should've gone ahead and bought rice flour. After a lot of delicious research I can tell you my favourite shortbread contains 100 percent rice flour. And butter and sugar. That's it.

John

Orange zest works also, and with the orange if you cut the finished shortbread into sticks, you can dip one end in dark chocolate, or just drizzle dark chocolate over the whole sheet

Donna

This is delicious and addictive as some have said. I added cardamom to the last batch and it was very good. I had a bit of lemon curd leftover so substituted for some of the butter and that was good as well.

Pudovkin

The original recipe (available on Amy Casey's web site) specifies a quarter cup, so I would go with that.

CraigR

I took lynn ricardo's suggestion and added a slug of vanilla. Wonderful. Will definitely be a regular for me.

Pamela

Very easy to make and good taste and texture. I buttered the dish instead of using parchment paper and had no issues with sticking. I added a half teaspoon of vanilla and some extra sugar to the mix. I sprinkled mine with sugar and sliced almost immediately after taking out of the oven, and transferred to another dish to cool. Lost some sugar in the process so resprinkled again. I guess the comment about sugar on the bottom of the cookies will be one of life's unsolved mysteries.

missn

First comment on a NYT recipe: prepared recipe as directed - delicious and ever so easy to make. Yum!

missn

First comment on a NYT recipe: prepared recipe as directed - delicious and ever so easy to make. Yum!

Meezon Plass

Amazing easy recipe. I've made it with plain melted butter and with brown butter, both incredibly delicious. It' amazing how much the flavor and texture improve the next day.

Vicki

Very dry

ruby delicious

Don’t melt the butter, or else cool it completely

ilovevt

Oh yum! A perfect recipe and so easy. Rave reviews and they kept beautifully.

ilovevt

Meant to add that I used almond flour instead of rice flour and added a hint of almond extract. Absolutely delicious.

shore cook

Try using cultured butter, it makes a difference in the flavor. I also added lemon zest and vanilla extract as others suggested, it was delicious!

flo

I think this is the best recipe I cut it in round shape, slightly thinner and this my view of what a perfect sugar cookie is. Forget the other sugar cookie with icing, which compared to this is like mini purgatory !! this is THE sugar cookie for ever. Best recipe, tons of thanks !!!!!

MarciaF

Can I cut the dough with cookie cutters and bake on parchment on cookie sheets, rather than baking in a pan and then cutting into bars?

MJ

I don't see why not.

Linda

This is the easiest and best shortbread recipe I’ve tried. I don’t change a thing. I use parchment, lift it out of the pan immediately and then slice before they cool. I roll each piece in sugar while still hot and it sticks very well.

Miranda

This recipe, as is, is my absolute favorite for an easy cookie/treat. If you want a stronger flavor, you can also add 1.5 tsp of almond extract, which is equally delicious

As a lavender farmer...

Added 1 tablespoon of ground lavender buds is a MUST otherwise as noted it is too bland. Increase sugar to 1/3 of a cup. Added ground lavender - only 1 teaspoon to the sugar before sprinkling on the top of the still warm shortbread. Delicious!!

josee

Made as written with the following flavorings: 1tbsp of culinary lavender seeds and 1tbsp of dried lemon peel, crushed together with mortar to release more aromas. Also stirred some of this in the sugar topping. Best shortbread I have ever had. Looking forward to experiencing with different flavorings.

josee

I made this as written and added culinary lavender and minced lemon peel for flavor. Will never try another shortbread recipe. It came out looking professional with divine taste and texture. I may experience with other flavorings.

Mary

Delicious! I baked 30 minutes and it was too long. Next time, I will check after 25 minutes. I added approximately a teaspoon of vanilla after reading reviews.

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Sugared Shortbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

What is the trick to shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  1. Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  2. Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  3. Add Flavor. ...
  4. Don't Overwork. ...
  5. Shape Dough. ...
  6. Chill Before Baking. ...
  7. Bake Until Golden. ...
  8. Add Finishing Touches.

What happens if you put too much butter in shortbread? ›

Greasy mess: Extra butter means more fat, making the dough greasy and difficult to handle. Spreading like crazy: Cookies lose their shape, spreading thin and flat instead of staying nice and round. Uneven baking: The excess fat can burn easily on the edges while leaving the center undercooked.

Should shortbread cookies be soft or hard? ›

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

What happens if you don't chill shortbread? ›

But in this shortbread cookie recipe, it really makes a difference. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape. If you don't chill your shortbread dough, the cookies will spread as they bake.

What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking. Notice I'm using powdered sugar here. You'll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar.

Why do you put an egg in shortbread? ›

Adding hard-boiled egg yolks to a basic shortbread recipe makes cookies more tender with the perfect buttery-soft texture. The addition is a sure-fire way to improve the texture of your cookies, but perhaps not always worth the extra time and effort.

Should shortbread be cold before baking? ›

Baking Shortbread Cookies

Place the cookies at least 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet pans and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over each cookie. The dough should still be cool and firm to the touch. If it's not, chill both sheet pans in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking.

Why does shortbread have holes in the top? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

Should butter be cold for shortbread? ›

Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.

Why use unsalted butter in shortbread? ›

Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

Why is my shortbread raw in the middle? ›

If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.

What is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

What's the difference between Irish shortbread and Scottish shortbread? ›

Irish Shortbread Is Distinct From Scottish Shortbread

Irish shortbread not only sometimes changes up the butter-to-sugar ratio (possibly going with 2/3 a cup of sugar to 1 cup of butter), but also adds cornstarch in place of some of the flour present in the traditional recipe.

Why cornstarch in shortbread cookies? ›

Making shortbread cookies with cornstarch is necessary for a tender and delicate cookie. Next time you make chocolate chip cookies, I suggest you try adding 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to the batch to help keep them extra soft and tender.

Why did my shortbread fail? ›

Nigella Lawson explains that they can turn out with the dreaded soggy bottom if they're pressed too thickly in a pan, cooked at too high a temperature, or cooked in a non-metal pan that doesn't quickly distribute the oven heat.

Should the butter be cold when making shortbread? ›

If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent.

How can you tell if shortbread is underbaked? ›

Begin checking at the tail end of the cooking time. Undercooked shortbread will be doughy and chewy. Slightly overcooked and it will become chalky, brittle and hard.

Should you chill shortbread dough before baking? ›

Step 3: The Secret to the Absolute Best Shortbread

After shaping the cookies, don't rush to the oven! Instead, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so (overnight is OK, too).

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