Scottish Shortbread III

Great recipe - much like my grandmothers. I reduced the flour by 1 cup and added 1/2 tsp vanilla. Turned out less crumbly - just perfect!!

This is an excellent recipe. I'd lost one that was almost identical and I'm so happy to have found this. The only suggestion I have is that the directions for using your hands to "mix thoroughly" may not be specific enough for some people who don't know that meand that the dough needs to be kneaded for quite several minutes at minimum. I think some of the negatTive reviews probably came about because they didn't mix it well enough. This is a purist's type of shortbread, if that's what you're looking for. I just wanted to add that you should sift the flour first. Otherwise you get a more flour than you need, resulting in a dryer dough, which can lead to a "flour-y" taste, even with kneading. If you don't sift the flour first, then you definitely need to add less flour, maybe 1/4-1/3 cup less.

I have made one batch of this recipe and I was not impressed. I spoke with my second mom (best friend's Mom) who is Scottish and she laughed at this recipe. Half salted and half unsalted butter is the way to go, according to her. And 5 cups of flour is way too much and to go with 4 to 41/2 cups to get the right consistancy. The next time I will do it her way since it was her's I was trying to replicate. She also said that the baking pan wasn't big enough and should be no more than 3/4 of an inch thick. Next time I'll roll it out instead of making bars...

This is it!! I LOVE this recipe. Easy and delicious. I've been buying shortbread cookies (bar style) from a cottage industry for years just because I didn't have the recipe. This is it exactly. I had to decrease the baking time by 5 minutes, and wondered about pan size. 10" x 15" is perfect. Thanks so much!!!!

My husband's golf shop had a Christmas Open House. Our theme was "Scottish". We had a bagpiper who is currently the world after winning a competition in Scotland. I made this shortbread and he said it was the best he had ever eaten! He took a plate of it home with him. There was also a couple from England. They agreed it was the best they had ever eaten. Easy to make and it got rave reviews from our guests.

I read the comments and made this with 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla and 4 cups of flour. I baked it per instructions, but the final time at 300 degrees was 30 minutes instead of 40. I did not have any problem with crumbs or dryness. I cut the shortbread into finger sized pieces, cooled them thoroughly and then dipped one end in melted sweet chocolate, rolled it in crushed pecans and chilled until firm.

I would give this five stars after some additions. I added a touch of vanilla. I halved the recipe,used 1 stick of unsalted butter and 1 stick of salted butter. I also used 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 powdered sugar. (Also upped the sugar by a 1/4) I baked it in a square Pyrex pan for the recommended time and it is wonderful. I am waiting to see what the texture is once it has cooled completely, but right now it is flakey and melt-in-your-mouth yummy!

The first time I followed the recipe exactly, it was good but a bit too dry and done. After looking at everyone's reviews I made a few alterations and it came out perfectly. Here's the summary: -Added 2 t. of pure vanilla -Reduced flour to 4 c. -Softened the butter before mixing (I stuck with the salted) -mixed it all in the Kitchenaid -kneaded it a bit before pressing into pan -Baked @ 350 degrees for 10 min, then reduce to 300 degrees and bake for only 15-20 minutes. They have become our Christmas tradition and are like little bites of heaven!

I misplaced my shortbread recipe, so looked thru here and finally found it. This is the one! Both grandparents from Scotland, and Irish son-in-laws demand this cookie every Christmas. It's the best. Got this recipe originally from a church-made cookbook over 30 some years ago. Jan Weeks

This was so easy to make (yet looks & tastes like you worked all day!) and they turned out perfectly....the cuts were very clean and nothing crumbled! I sprinkled a small amount of granulated sugar and then a small amount of red sugar (for christmas) while they were still warm...but next time, I will sprinkle the sugar on prior to baking...just a scant amount. The colored sugar really makes them look festive for the holidays! Oh...I also added about a tsp. of vanilla and a dash of salt to the dough. I will definitely make these again!!! My family is loving them, and I have also wrappped some to give away as gifts! Thumbs up!!!

Best I've found so far in my search for the perfect shortbread.

I come from England and was raised on delicious Scottish shortbread. Since moving to the USA, I have been unable to find any that tastes anything like what I'm used to. I decided that the only option was to try making my own, and I found this recipe. I have to say this is easily the best shortbread I have tasted in a long time and is probably as good as the bought shortbread I used to eat in England. The recipe is so easy, I wish I had started making my own years ago. There really is very little you can do wrong with this recipe and very little that needs to be changed. I added a little salt and reduced the flour by about half a cup - I used my initiative and stopped adding it when the consistency seemed to be right. Everybody who has tried this loves it and it never lasts more than a day. I'm so glad I found this recipe. Many thanks to the poster.

I, too, added vanilla (a bit over a tsp -- I'm bad not measuring), and actually had to decrease the baking time by 15 minutes, because the ends were browning. My husband (who would like to own stock in Walker's Shortbread) said it was better than Walker's. Thanks for a keeper.

Very easy & came out perfect - I halved the recipe and made it with 1 cup salted butter, softened, then added 1/2 cup sugar and creamed it for a few mins until light & fluffy. Added 2 cups of flour & then dumped it on a floured board. I kneaded it for a couple mins then put the whole lump on the cookie sheet and just patted it into a big square. Pricked it all over then put it in a 350 oven for 10 mins then 300 for 25 mins more, as suggested by other reviewers. I gave it as a gift to my friend who is Scotish & immigrated here to the states just a few years ago. He told me it was the best shortbread he has ever tasted!! Coming from an authentic Scotsman that says a lot! This recipe is a total keeper. Thanks so much.

Lovely!!! If youare finding that you need to add vanilla, then use salted butter instead. These cookies shouldn't need any flavouring at all as the sugar and butter should stand on its own.

My mom is also from Scotland and I pulled this recipe because I couldn't find mine. The only difference is the flour. I'm sure that back in the day everyone had their own way but my mom uses 3 1/2 and adds small amounts up to 4 cups just until the consistency is right. She said the key here is using soft butter, not melted, and pressing it with your hands because the heat of them makes the butter just right. She also uses a cookie sheet to get the right thickness. It should turn out crisp and delicious!

This is a fabulous recipe. I have bought shortbread cookies from health food stores and the big name coffee shop for years and love them. I made this recipe and it came out just like the famous brand. Easy to make. I used a food processor to cream the butter and sugar. The only variations I did on this recipe was I used salted butter. I also cooked them in a glass Pyrex 9 x 13 pan taking half the dough for each pan. After kneading the dough I hand pat it into the pans and make holes in the dough with a meat fork. Baked as directed, cool two minutes, cut into bars and let cool completely as instruction in the pan. I made these for Thanksgiving and my guest who own a health food store loved them. I highly recommend this recipe. The great thing is that for the cost of a box of 9 cookies of the famous brand I get oodles of cookies...the down side...I have oodles of cookies to eat.

SO EASY! I opted with the stand mixer and really whipped the butter and sugar before adding the flour. It came together wonderfully and simply patted it into the parchment lined pan. I also added a little almond extract. I thought the cookies wouldn't be sweet enough, but after tasting a few and especially with tea...they were perfectly sweetened. If I needed a sweeter treat, I would probably dip in chocolate. They went over well at the food tasting that I took them to.

I spent the summer in Scotland and I wanted a recipe that would give me the shortbread I'd fallen in love with. This recipe worked beautifully. On reading the other reviews, I used salted butter and sifted the flour. It is a recipe that needs to be kneaded as another reviewer mentioned. I had no problems whatsoever after making those changes. Delicious and very easy.

I made three different recipes in one night to compare and this one was my favorite. Before it had cooled completely, it seemed too chewy and didn't have the right texture, but the next morning they were perfect. A little sweeter than the others I tried and closest to what I remember from my trip to Scotland. The only major change I made was to the cooking time - I only baked them about 25 minutes at the lower temp. Just watched them closely until they started to brown on the edges. You just want them barely not white.

Yum! I used 2 c all-purpose and 2 c wheat flour because I ran out of all-purpose. I also baked mine in 2 9-inch cake pans cause I like my shortbread in rounds. Still came out great!

worst recipe ever. this must be some kind of joke. tastes like flour, doesnt hold up at all (think pie crust before adding the liquid) and burnt with 10 minutes still remaining in the cooking time! followed it exactly. my advice for anyone who has any idea what proper shortbread should taste like: DO NOT USE THIS RECIPE!

Excellent shortbread... I modified the recipe for my needs though.. so I added some cinnamon and a little vanilla and then dipped the bars in a orange, mango & rum truffle mixture that would firm up enough to make balls no matter what I did! If I was using this recipe for something other than what I did.. i.e. having the shortbread plain w/out chocolate, etc, I would personally add more sugar and make it 1 1/2-2c. sugar & then adjust the flour accordingly.

I read the reviews (as always) before using this recipe. I have a shortbread stone pan that I hadn't used in a while and decided to make some shortbread today. I cut the recipe in half and followed the baking instructions for the stone pan (350 for about 30 minutes); I used salted butter and added just a dash of vanilla. I felt the recipe had just the right balance of crumbliness for a homemade shortbread. I used my kitchenaid mixer and sifted the flour (2 cups, which became almost 2 1/2 cups once sifted), then took it out and actually used additional flour as I kneaded the dough - it was sticky at first until I added flour, so I think in the end I used pretty much the 2 1/2 cups the recipe called for - or pretty close to it, so I'm not sure why some seemed to use less. Anyway, the final product was delicious. I also added a photo (though it's a little dark...)

This is a super recipe...my husbands family is scottish....this is a true recipe for shortbread! Use your hands to mix/knead well. Perfect recipe just the way it is ...did not have unsalted butter so i used salted. Yummmy!

Excellent shortbread, rich and buttery tasting. It is one of my favorite cookies to make for receptions and buffets and I always get asked for the recipe.

I made this for my son's international day at school and the kids loved it! Only the empty plate came home. It was one of those nights when your kid tells you they have to bring in an ethnic dish for school in the morning and you panic. I had almost no ingredients on hand and picked this recipe because of the ingredient list. I had low expectations because it seemed too easy to have any taste. I was wrong, they were surprisingly tasty. Thanks for saving the day!

We made this recipe this afternoon and loved it!! We followed the recommendation to only use four cups of flour and it was a hit! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. My wife took one bite and said . . . these are grandma's cookies!!

Not sure what - but somethings missing!

Very easy to make, and very tasty! I read many of the other reviews, and tried a few tips I read from others. I used 4 cups of sifted flour, 3 sticks of unsalted butter, and one stick of light butter (I wanted to try 1/2 salted and 1/2 unsalted, but the light was all I had). I added 1/2 tsp of vanilla and about 3/4 tsp salt. I put it in a 9x13 pan, and the finished product is about 3/4 inches thick. I sprinkled yellow colored sugar on top before baking.

I love this recipe. Three ingredients and a yummy shortbread. Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe. I make it often for family gatherings (it makes plenty).

I made two batches, one as per the instructions, one with vanilla & cinnamon added. Both received rave reviews from friends and family alike!

This was a little to dry and crumbly for me but it is delicious, I just finished my second piece. The next time I think I'll use 4 1/2 cups of flour. I added 1 tsp of vanilla and loved the fact that this recipe made a half sheet pan. I cut it up into 24 bars, I don't like small anything when it comes to desserts, cookies, pastries, etc. This would go great topped with some Meyer lemon curd and good sized dollop of freshly made whipped cream.

This shortbread is excellent!!!!! My best friend and I ate this up (since my family doesn't really care for shortbread). This is great!

WOW!!! This is fantastic authentic shortbread. You do need to work the flour in with your hands and make sure you sift it before adding. These are worth the trouble!

I have used this recipe for several years at the Skagit Highland Games at our clan's hospitality tent. People always ask for the recipe.

I make this every Christmas. It's my favorite of all the cookies I make. I sprinkle it with colored sugar before baking to glam it up for gifting. Very easy, a big bang for the effort.

I've long searched for the perfect Scottish shortbread recipe, and I've finally found it! Thank you for sharing your mother's recipe with us. It's the best ever and so easy to make. I did learn not to pile it high in my shortbread mold - the thinner, the better the texture.

These were okay. I baked it for 30 minutes at 300 degrees since it started to brown around the edges. The cookies were soft and not fully cooked so I put it back in the oven at 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes and firmed up after it cooled. This does not have as much flavor as Walker's shortbread cookies but it's close.

I have now made this recipe multiple times. Each time the shortbread is too tough and crumbly for my taste, even when I reduced the amount of flour a bit and baked it for a shorter amount of time. I think the problem is that it takes a really long time for my oven to cool down form 350 degrees to 300 degrees--which means the shortbread is basicaly cooking at 350 the entire time. I might try this one more time, reducing the flour by half a cup and baking at 300 degrees the entire time.

I made cookies from this recipe, used molds and baked a shorter time, about 18 minutes, but still too long, were too brown. Will try 10-12 minutes for small cookies next time. Dipped the tops in melted chocolate, a hit!

Very easy to make but most other reviewers were right about the time it takes to cook being too long. I added a bit of cinnamon and vanilla for more flavor.

This is the best shortbread I have ever had! Wonderful!!!

I cannot believe I waited until now to make shortbread cookies, and WOW! Am I glad I found this recipe! I was looking for a festive, but nut-free cookie for my allergic grandson and came across this. I followed some of the other reviewers advice, and added only 4 1/2 cups of flour, and decorated with red and green sprinkles before baking for our Christmas party. (I hope I don't eat them all before tonight!)

great recipe...very close to my own mother's who is also off the boat from Scotland...but to make it truly SCOTTISH shortbread you need to add cornmeal...instead of all flour do 3.25 cups flour and 1.75 cups cornmeal...adds texture...a world of difference! But still a great simple recipe thanks!

The cookies came out undone so I had to bake it for another 10 min. The final result was very greasy cookies that had a strong taste of flour. Second batch sifted the flour as other reviewers said and baked it longer. The cookies were overdone and I was surprised at how quickly they browned up comparing to the first batch.

These are wonderful! I've adjusted though a bit...I use 3/4c brown sugar and 1/4c white sugar. I also added 3 tsp almond extract and reduced the flour by 1 cup. Yum!

SUPER RECIPE!!!! Taste and texture were exactly what I wanted, and the recipe was amazingly easy with a huge yield. Thanks to the sender!

I will never buy store bought shortbread again! I agree that sifting the flour made a huge difference and kneading for several minutes as well to ensire blending. I think these lasted all of about 5 minutes at home as well as teh 2 parties I've taken them to! Bravo

This is wonderful. I gave some to friends and daughter. Everyone raved over it. One problem!!!! Hubby and I are addicted. Thanks for a great recipe. Elaine

I thought this recipe was very good! I did add about a teaspoon of vanilla but otherwise followed directions exactly and it turned out great! No crumbling whatsoever. And it's a typical shortbread...not supposed to be a sweet cookie. I will make it again! The family loved it!

I am not particularly found of shortbread, but I needed a Scottish recipe for a school project and this looked easy. It turned out perfectly, and I thought it tasted very good. I used 4 cups of flour instead of 5 and used 1/2 unsalted butter and half salted butter. I sprinkled the top with colored sugar before baking. The taste surprised me so much that I might make these again for Christmas.

Very good! Like other reviewers, I cut back on the flour and added a little vanilla. I also drizzled melted chocolate on top of the baked shortbread. I took this to a party, and they were promptly devoured!!!!!!

Absolutely delicious. The most authentic tasting Scottish shortbread recipe that I've seen.

This is the best shortbread recipe that I've ever tried! I followed suggestions and reduced the flour to 4 1/2 cups and kneaded alot. We flavored with different extracts then rolled ours out and cut into 1 1/2" cookies. We reduced the end baking time by about 10 minutes. They were great!

Great traditional shortbread! It is best when you allow it to sit for a day. A splash of almond or vanilla makes it even more yummy.

I could've sworn my printed copy of this recipe says 3 cups of flour? Anyway, I make it with 4 cups of flour and it's perfect! Gets rave reviews all the time. I also use salted butter as I think it's too bland if there's no salt in the recipe at all.

These taste like the Scottish shortbreads you get out of a can. Delicious!

These were okay. I baked it for 30 minutes at 300 degrees since it started to brown around the edges. The cookies were soft and not fully cooked so I put it back in the oven at 250 degrees for 10-15 minutes and firmed up after it cooled. This does not have as much flavor as Walker's shortbread cookies but it's close.

Every year I make several batches at Xmas time. It's a great consistency and makes so much. It freezes well in ziplock bags for up to several months. The other thing I often do for a little variety is dip 1/2 of the shortbread bar into melted semisweet chocolate.

Tastes just as good, if not better, than the store-bought stuff. It's incredibly easy and comes out perfect every time. Wonderful plain or with some "extras" thrown in to vary the flavor. So far I've experimented with candied lemon peel/crystallized ginger (blended up into a paste and added with the butter), crushed pecans (added to the dry ingredients), and a cashew/almond/cranberry trail mix (added to the dry ingredients). Tastes awesome any way you make it. Thanks so much for this recipe!

This is a fantastic recipe!!! I made a few modifications as follows: Used 4 cups flour Used 2 - 9x13 glass pans Sprinked sugar on the finished shortbreads before cutting. It make a big batch - I had to get them out of the house before I ate a whole pound of butter!!!

This was my first time to both make and eat shortbread and it turned out great! It turned out a bit on the crumbly side, but I think that may have been me not kneading thoroughly enough. I halved the recipe exactly, but after reading the reviews, I think next time I will use a little less flour. I also cooked it on 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes instead of the recommended 40, so next time I'll try taking off a few minutes as well. Very good recipe!

If you have very little ingredients and are craving shortbread this recipe will be your new best friend. You have to like authentic shortbread, let it cool and it will firm up!

I too am thrilled that I found this recipie, my gram use to make these for us all the time. If you decrease the flour and add vanilla it is simly not shortbread! My gram was a baker and her trick was to throughly blend the soft butter and suger, and add swifted flour one cup at a time. Flour to be mixed by hand, the less you worked the dough the flakery the cookie. I seem to remember them being stored in a tin, with wax paper.Plus my 32 year old daughter loves them and say there better than the r.r. recipie that she had made.

Very disappointing. I followed the recipe exactly, except for adding vanilla, and I don't blame that for the dry crumbly, definately not melt in your mouth texture. Little flavor even with the vanilla. Might make a good pie crust. Oh well...I'll keep looking for a good shortbread...

The tea experts' verdict is out...this is the BEST shortbread we've ever tried!!!

I tried this recipe tonight and loved it. I followed suggestions of others and only used 4 cups of flour. The consistency of the dough was perfect. I rolled them into balls and used cookie presses to flatten them out, then baked for less time. Delicious! I may try to add a little bit of vanilla or almond flavoring the next time I make this.

This is a very authentic recipe. I use 1/2 lb salted & 1/2 lb unsalted and it tastes exactly like my grandmother's. Thank you!

Addictive!

I found that the flour to butter ratio was a bit off. 5 Cups of flour to the 4 sticks of butter is too much. Flour remained powdery. I added one more stick of butter, that seemed to work. If making again I would use a ratio of 4oz of butter to 6 oz of flour.

I added a tablespoon of vanilla and these were still way too bland and floury .

Gave 4 stars as written. Was 5 with my changes: used about a cup less flour (maybe 4 1/4 cups total) and added a tsp vanilla. Perfect! Makes a good amount too, which is nice since these are a big hit!

Loved them. They tasted just like the mother-in-laws. She can no longer make them due to arthiris. I put sugar on top before baking only because that is how my kids are used to enjoying them.

I made this as a birthday treat for my Scottish Friend. She LOVED it! It reminded her of home. I will make it again! Everyone loves it and it is very easy. Thanks Lesley! Maureen

I love these cookies. They smelled so mouth watering delicious when baking . I had to sneak one when it was time to cut them . I used to buy the ones from Scottland, that will be a rare thing now. Thank you for submitting this one.

Very disappointing. The shortbread results were too hard and lacked flavour. Someone suggested decreasing the amount of flour and I fully support this.

I have been baking for years and made this shortbread. This is definitely some good stuff. Bravo !!

Great! Easy & yummy!

this was tough thick cookie and I think it had too much flour.

My daughters made this for my husband while he was deployed. He loves shortbread. My girls were worried about it keeping through travel but it made it there just fine. From what he says it came out great.

I've made this recipe with a couple changes a gazillion times over the last few years, 1 cup less flour, I like salted butter in these better...a couple squirts of vanilla, sprinkle sugar lightly after baking. I always double the recipe and pat into a large baking sheet, makes a bunch! My grandson begs for these every year around the holidays, says they taste "like they were made from baby's tears" Gah. Make them, then get them out of the house STAT, if you know what I mean. :-)

I cut the recipe in half, used half salted butter and half unsalted butter and added a smidge of vanilla. Also cut the cooking time by a good 15 minutes; not sure if this is because of cutting the recipe in half or if maybe my oven runs hot but the full 50 minutes would have burnt them. Anyway, they came out delicious and my two year old and I risked burnt mouths eating them before they had even cooled. Will probably dip some in chocolate once they have cooled, just to try that out.

Very good! I have lost my recipe givin to me many years ago. This one tastes very close to it! Thanks!

I have used this recipe for years. It is on top of all my friends wish list every year for xmas baskets.

I love the simplicity of this recipe! I have always made them and found these can be a blank canvas: You can add pecans for pecan sandies; fresh orange peel for a citrusy good shortcake; dipped in melted chocolate...But my personal favorite is the simple shortbread.

This shortbread is delightful and delicious! The wonderfully rich and buttery flavor is a favorite among my family and friends who request it every year. I especially like the fact that this shortbread bar does not need to be rolled out, as my rolling pin skills are somewhat lacking LOL ;). This recipe is a genuine keeper!

This is very similar to my mom's recipe from Glasgow, Scotland I've made for 40+ years. Like JessyMessy, I reduce the flour to 4 cups and it's really important to sift the flour (even if it's supposedly pre-sifted). Recently, I've started adding 1/2 tsp vanilla (not in my mom's recipe) because I like it a bit sweeter. The one thing my mom insisted on was hand kneading the assembled dough for 15 min (no mixers!). I don't know if it's the warmth of your hands or the kneading action or both, but the cookies come out light and not crumbly. (I watch "White Christmas" while I'm kneading the dough - my mom passed away a couple of decades ago and we used to watch it together while we made this recipe so I have to keep my tears out of the dough!) The rest of the ingredients are the same. To bake, I use two 8" round pie tins (lightly buttered and floured) per batch, make sure you poke the fork through the dough all the way to the bottom of the pan and about 1/2" apart throughout, bake at 325 for 45 min then turn off the oven(keep the door closed) for another 15 min. Let them cool in the pan for 10-15 min then turn out onto cooling racks. When completely cool, I wrap as-is (pie pan size) in clear plastic wrap, tie on some ribbons, attach the recipe card, and give as gifts. For years, it's been a tradition that upon delivery to my neighbors, we cut off a piece as big or small as we want and enjoy this shortbread with a cup of hot tea and wonderful conversation!

Fantastic shortbread recipe. Used 4 cups flour, 1/2 salted, 1/2 unsalted butter and tsp vanilla. dipped ends in white and dark chocolate. After tasting,I made a second batch with just sugar sprinled on top for those like me who like straight up shortbread. I will use this recipe again and again, Thank you!

Terrific shortbread, but I had to pull out the heavy stand mixer for a double batch. My in-laws have an annual XMas cookie bake, and my mother-in-law won't let me come unless I bring this dough to bake. I used half unsalted and half salted butter, and it had plenty of flavor for us! A real keeper!

Thank you for this lovely recipe!

This recipe is excellent, especially when you read and take heed of the reviews. I used 4 cups of flour and 1.25 cups of sugar, and it was exquisite! These were the smash hit of the Downton Abbey party! I may also incorporate these into my holiday baking repertoire. They're so easy to make! Thank you!

This recipe is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! The cookies were just moist and buttery enough, and though I added 1 tsp. of vanilla, I'm sure it would have tasted great without it, too. I didn't have the patience to poke all those holes in with a fork, so I washed a comb and it took 1/10 the time. I have also seen onion holders used, but I don't have one of those. Also, I had a hard time pressing it into the pan and poking the holes without it crumbling, so I stuck in the preheated oven for 2-3 min., or until soft. I made 4 batches of this, and it resulted in 3 cookie sheets full, just the right thickness. Each made 48 bars, but the first batch had disappeared in under 2 days! They came out perfect. Well, the first time I overcooked them (With my oven it only takes 10 min. on 300°F and 25-30 min. on 250°F), but the second and third times they did come out perfect:) Definitely a repeat. I GREATLY recommend this recipe!

This is very close to a recipe I had lost. I made the following adjustments: 4 cups flour, salted butter, and it used a pastry cutter to cut the butter/sugar into the flour. I didn't roll it out at all, but just pressed it into a baking sheet. Turned out great! Was even better when we used Kerrygold butter.

we love this recipe. It is quick, easy and delicious. We drizzle melted chocolate haphazardedly all over the shortbread, after it has cooled. We give it as gifts at holiday time, and everyone thinks it is very special.It is especially good with a cup of tea or coffee first thing in the morning.

I've been using this recipe for about 3 years and it's probably the only one I will use again. I always add a sprinkling of white sugar as it is cooling.

This came out perfect! The texture was great and it was flaky and delicious. Everyone loved it! Update...I've been using this recipe for 5 years. I make bars and also use my shortbread cookie molds. These come out perfect every time. I just made half a batch for my friend. These are a favorite of many.

Amazing recipe! I make it every Christmas and my family goes crazy for it! I add 1tsp of almond oil or lavender oil and it is amazing!!! This has become a family tradition for us, I give squares in cellophane bags with a bow for gifts! So much easier than cookies!!

I' made these short bread cookies many times now just like this recipe, I followed these instructions for ingredients. 1 pound butter 5 cups flour , and 1 cup sugar. mix together until it starts looking like cookie doe. Heres where my instructions differ . Ive cooked them at 350 for 30 minutes and they were too burnt . So I do it at 325 degrees for 25 minutes and they are perfect. take them out after 25 minutes then cut them when still hot just chop cut style let them cool then carefully remove them from pan if you cook them in one piece like these instructions do.I just like the plain short bread myself , but sprinkling tops with sugar isn't a bad idea . just before going into the oven.