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Baking · Scottish

Shortbread

Rich, buttery, gently golden, and cut into fingers while it's still warm.

Hands-on
20 min
Hands-off
50 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Makes
16 strips or wedges
Serves
16

Preheat overlaps the mixing. Total = 20 min active (15 min mixing and pressing, about 5 min cutting) + 50 min hands-off (35-40 min baking, 5-10 min cooling in the pan). Allow extra time for the pieces to cool on the rack, and for the chocolate to set if you dip them. The recipe it's based on lists 50 minutes in total, which doesn't cover the full bake plus cooling.

Oven 170 °C · 150 °C fan (325 °F)

Pan 23 cm round or 20 cm square cake tin (US: 9 in round or 8 in square cake pan)

  • easy
  • vegetarian
  • christmas
  • holiday
  • kid-friendly
  • gift-idea

Verified against at least two trusted test kitchens or food-safety guides · Last checked · What this means

Illustration of Shortbread
Amount
Units
Oven

Ingredients

You need: 23 cm (9 in) round or 20 cm (8 in) square cake pan · baking parchment · mixing bowl and electric mixer or wooden spoon · fork · pizza wheel or sharp knife · wire rack · oven mitts · microwave-safe bowl (for the chocolate)

Contains: wheat · milk

Method

  1. Heat the oven, line the pan

    Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, 325°F, gas 3). Lightly grease a 23 cm (9 in) round or 20 cm (8 in) square pan and line it with parchment.

    Ready when: The oven has fully reached temperature (the preheat light is off, or an oven thermometer agrees) before the pan goes in.

  2. Make the dough

    Beat the 227 g (16 tbsp) butter with the 113 g (1 cup) confectioners' sugar, 2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp almond extract if using, and 1/4 tsp salt. Add the 240 g (2 cups) flour and keep beating. It looks dry at first; keep going until it turns into a stiff dough. Only if it really won't come together, add water a little at a time, up to 1 tbsp.

  3. Press into the pan

    Press the dough into the lined pan in an even layer and smooth the top with your fingers. If it sticks to your hands, lay plastic wrap on top and press through that, then peel it off.

  4. Prick all over

    Prick the dough all over with a fork. The holes let steam escape so the shortbread doesn't bubble up.

  5. Bake

    Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

    Ready when: The top is light golden brown and the edges are a deeper golden brown.

  6. Cool briefly, then cut warm

    Let it cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then lift it out onto a board. While it is still slightly warm, cut it into 16 strips or wedges with a pizza wheel or sharp knife. Move the pieces to a rack to cool completely.

    Otto tried this firstOtto waits until the shortbread is completely cold before cutting, and it cracks into random shards. Cut it while it's still slightly warm.

  7. Dip in chocolate (optional)

    Put the 128 g (3/4 cup) chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and melt it in 30-second bursts, stirring after each one. Dip half of each piece, set it back on the rack and sprinkle with chopped nuts or flaky salt if you like. Let the chocolate set before serving.

    Ready when: The chocolate is smooth and shiny with no lumps. Stop as soon as it's melted so it doesn't scorch.

Swaps

  • Instead of salted butter: unsalted butter, same amount Increase the salt to 1/2 tsp.
  • Instead of almond extract: another extract you like, or leave it out It's optional.

Make ahead, store & reheat

Storage
Wrap well and keep for up to a week, or freeze for longer. The flavour gets better as it sits.

If something goes wrong

  • Dough looks dry and crumbly Why: It hasn't been beaten long enough yet.
    Keep beating until a stiff dough forms. Add water only if needed, up to 1 tbsp.
  • Bubbles on top Why: Steam was trapped under the surface.
    Prick the dough all over with a fork before baking.
  • Cracks and crumbles when cut Why: It was cut after cooling completely.
    Cut while it's still slightly warm, 5 to 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven.

Good to know

  • Good butter matters here, because it's most of the flavour.
  • Ginger version: add 1/3 cup finely diced crystallized ginger and 1 tsp ground ginger to the dough.
  • Chai-spiced version: add 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cardamom and 1/8 tsp ground cloves to the dough.

Safety

  • Don't taste the raw dough: raw flour can carry harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Only the baked shortbread is safe to eat, and kids shouldn't play with the raw dough.
  • Wash hands, bowl and counter with warm soapy water after handling flour.
  • The pan and oven racks stay very hot for a while. Use oven mitts, and kids should only move things in and out of the oven with an adult.
  • The optional garnishes add allergens: chocolate can contain milk or soy, and chopped nuts are tree nuts or peanuts. Leave them off if needed.