Easy Shortbread Cookies
Textbook shortbread is one part sugar for two parts butter and three parts flour. My version contains slightly less sugar and a little more butter. Some of the flour is also replaced by rice flour, cornstarch, or semolina to make the biscuits even more brittle and short. I was looking for the taste and texture of my favorite shortbread fingers, and this recipe is very close.
Equipment
- Round cookie cutter
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 7 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/3 cup (50 g) semolina, or 1/3 cup (50 g) rice flour, or a combination
- 6 tablespoons superfine sugar (or blitz granulated sugar in a food processor until finely ground), plus extra for sprinkling
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) butter, at room temperature but not soft
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, semolina, or rice flour, sugar and salt. Use your fingers to rub in the butter until the mixture is the consistency of breadcrumbs. Knead the mixture until it comes together into a smooth dough, 5 to 10 minutes. Do not over knead, or the biscuits will be brittle.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Flour your work surface and pat the dough flat with your hands until it is about 1/4 inch (6.5 mm) thick. Do not roll the dough, or the shortbreads will be chewy.
- Use a 3-inch (8-cm) cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out cookies. Pat the leftover dough back together and keep cutting out cookies until there is no dough left.
- Neatly prick the shortbreads all over with a fork, place them on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the middle of the oven until just barely golden around the edges, 30 minutes.
- Remove the shortbreads from the oven and immediately sprinkle with superfine sugar. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Keep the shortbreads in an airtight container and eat them as quickly as possible.
Notes
- Make-ahead–The cookie dough can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month before baking.
- Freezing–Baked shortbread cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g