This is the most basic cookie recipe there is. Real butter and brown sugar give it an irresistible flavor.
WOWOWOWOW!!! I resisted the VERY strong urge to tinker with the recipe and I am so glad that I did. First of all I softened the butter, then creamed the sugar and butter together. Then, I used 4 cups of flour, which I added a little bit at a time. I then used my cookie scooper and placed the balls on a cookie sheet lined with Release. I then sprinkled the tops with granulated sugar and then pressed the bottom of a glass down on the cookies. These did not expand much at all so you can really load your cookie sheet up. These turned out delicious (and pretty)! Thanks for the post!
Read More This recipe really wasn't very nice. Yes it was simple to make and the ingredients were all easily at hand- but the result was a very bland biscuit. After reading the other reviews, I had thought that this recipe would yield a better result. But this biscuit lacks both flavour and the texture of a true shortbread; and it leaves a dry feeling in ones mouth after eating. I believe that it is misleading to name this biscuit a shortbread- it definitely lacks the true characteristics of a melt in the mouth, buttery shortbread. This is not a dreadful biscuit, but it is not tasty or exceptional. Defintely not a treat you'd serve to guests.
Read More This recipe really wasn't very nice. Yes it was simple to make and the ingredients were all easily at hand- but the result was a very bland biscuit. After reading the other reviews, I had thought that this recipe would yield a better result. But this biscuit lacks both flavour and the texture of a true shortbread; and it leaves a dry feeling in ones mouth after eating. I believe that it is misleading to name this biscuit a shortbread- it definitely lacks the true characteristics of a melt in the mouth, buttery shortbread. This is not a dreadful biscuit, but it is not tasty or exceptional. Defintely not a treat you'd serve to guests.
I found this recipe too heavy & floury as written. BUT when I started with cold butter cut it up into pats. Mixed it & the sugar on high until it became fluffy (5 mins on high). AND if I used 4 C flour exactly and no kneading, & chilled the dough prior to shaping, the texture and flavor improved a great deal. It changed it from very heavy & doughy tasting to light & buttery & crumbly.
WOWOWOWOW!!! I resisted the VERY strong urge to tinker with the recipe and I am so glad that I did. First of all I softened the butter, then creamed the sugar and butter together. Then, I used 4 cups of flour, which I added a little bit at a time. I then used my cookie scooper and placed the balls on a cookie sheet lined with Release. I then sprinkled the tops with granulated sugar and then pressed the bottom of a glass down on the cookies. These did not expand much at all so you can really load your cookie sheet up. These turned out delicious (and pretty)! Thanks for the post!
WOW!..a moment of silence please..1.So you can hear the sound from my expanding thighs :) 2.For the absolute perfection of this cookie! My quest is over for the best shortbread cookie recipe, Thank You Linda! I will never by the famous shortbread cookies from the stores again! I just finished making a batch of these and the only changes I made were to add a tablespoon of vanilla, a pinch of salt and used the dough hook on my stand mixture to "knead" the dough. I also used powdered sugar instead of flour to roll the dough out. I sprinkled the tops of the cookies with sparkling white sugar (press into the dough) & then pricked with a large salad fork. If you love shortbread this is definately the cookie to make, it will now remain in my recipe file for years to come!
Authentic shortbread taste. Sooo much better than what you find in stores. I made mine entirely by hand (no mixers here), and didn't have a rolling pin or anything, so I let the dough sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then rolled it into balls, flattened them with my palm, and did the fork punches. Cooked them for about 18 minutes and the outcome? Super tasty. If a college guy like me can do it, anyone can. Inexpensive and easy recipe. I highly recommend it!
This shortbread is very yummy! But, beware of baking time. Mine were done well before the bake time in the recipe.
I am new to cooking, but love this website. I find it so helpful to read the reviews as I am able to get the best out of a recipe. On this recipe I used 3 & 3/4 cup of flour. Next time I would increase that amount because while the taste of the shortbread was absolutely fabulous, the shortbread did spread. Also, when I kneaded the dough, I used 1/2 flour and 1/2 confectioners sugar on the board. This gives it a much sweeter taste. I took it to a party tonight, and it was a BIG hit. I even got asked for the recipe. Not a single piece left, but thank goodness I kept 3 pieces at home to have with my tea. Also, I cooked it in 2 batches. The first batch turned out perfect at 25 minutes. The second batch was a little overdone at 25 minutes. I realize I would rather have them underdone than over done. Brown does not work on shortbread for all you novices out there like me. Cheers.
I'm Scottish and would just like to add that if you reduce the flour by half a cup and add half a cup of rice flour, it really improves the texture. It gives it a slight crispy crunchy texture that I like.
These cookies were absolutely delicious! I made them for my boyfriend who loves shortbread cookies and he LOVED them!
Others suggested adding a little extra salt in the recipe to bring out the shortbread flavor and I concur. I made these using all brown sugar and that's where the delicious taste lies. Also tried a half white sugar, half brown sugar and they weren't as tasty I think. I made some for my mom and she was in heaven -- was delighted to have such a simple recipe. She makes them all the time now. I make the dough then chill it in a squarish "log" shape wrapped in plastic. Then when chilled, I slice and bake them on parchment. Much easier for me than rolling them out. Plus I can make several batches at once and slice and bake as needed. This dough freezes well.
Every year at the holidays I go and get the large box of Walkers Shortbread, sometimes two. I have been searching for a receipe that would duplicate that taste. This is the receipe. Even my daughter who is 5 said "these taste like those cookies you buy and hide from us" They were great , I made them just as the receipe states, and then I wrapped them in a piece of Saran Wrap in a long block style and put in frig for a hour, then cut them no problem and baked for 21 minutes. Very good thank you!
I added 1/2 t salt, but really, the recipe's a 5-star without it. Love the simplicity of shortbread and this recipe's directions. My advice? Follow it. Don't get caught up in all the shortbread "hints and tips" you'll read on the 'net and in cookbooks. Just know your oven and prepare to take the cookies out up to 5 minutes earlier than the recommended bake time, if the edges start to tan and the cookies look done. Ha! Well I guess that's one "hint and tip," huh? Enjoy!
This is the same recipe my grandmother made, and I have made it for years. It is the best shortbread I have ever tasted. You can't take shortcuts, though. Use butter, not margerine. Don't melt the butter, allow it to soften and cream it well. Mix in the last of the flour by hand. You can tell there is enough flour when you make a ball in your hand and flatten it - the dough just begins to crack on the edge. Even now, I don't always get the right amount of flour - if you use too much, it will taste floury. If you use too little, the cookies will spread and be too crispy. Make sure to use the lower oven temperature and don't overbake. (I actually bake at 300).
These are so simple and delicious! I halved the recipe and got 32 1" x 2" cookies. The brown sugar is definitely what was lacking in all of the other recipes I've tried. Bravo, Linda!
This recipe is wonderful! A big hit with friends, family and coworkers alike. Use all light brown sugar for a more savory cookie, and 1/2 dark 1/2 light for a perfect sweet shortbread. I roll the dough into logs 1" in diameter and cut slices 1/2" thick for an elegant round cookie. Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe!!
I made a double batch of these for Christmas presents. First time I ever made shortbread! I used 1/2 salted 1/2 unsalted butter, softened. What I did after incorporating the rest of the flour was to cut it in half and work with half at a time. I didn't know what a "soft dough" was but ended up taking about to play dough consistency. To roll it out, I found it kind of "flaked" when I rolled it, so instead of rolling it all the way, I basically got it to size and shape I wanted, patting it down with my hands to make it thinner. Then I ran the roller over it to smooth it out. I used a clean metal ruler to measure. I used a pizza cutter but the cutting was pretty finicky. At the end I took out a flower shape cutter and used that, it made really cute shapes. I wish I would have done that for at least 1/2. I cooked them for about 4 minutes longer, as the first batch came out a little undercooked. It's hard to tell but just until it's barely barely toasted looking around the edges and I cooled on the pan. I wasn't impressed with the flavor and texture at first but it was much better after a night in the fridge. Thank you for this recipe!
Not what I expected at all. The brown sugar shoud've clued me in, but I was looking for a classic tasting Scottish shortbread recipe. The brown sugar changed the taste of it. It hardly tasted like Scottish shortbread at all.
These always get great reviews from the people I make it for. However, I have one IMPORTANT suggestion to everyone - add about 1/4-1/2 tsp. of salt to the recipe. Salt is essential in bringing out flavor, not just in this recipe, but every recipe. It doesn't make it taste salty, it just makes it possible to taste the butter and sugary goodness. Good luck!
Very good recipe. I made a few modifications based upon the reviews. * Added 2 Tsp of Almond Extract to the butter/sugar mixture * Blended cold butter and sugar until fluffy, and mixed all flour in. I did not knead, and I refrigerated all dough before rolling and cutting into cookies * I cooked in a 300 degree oven for approx 25 min (start checking at 25 min)
WOW!! I made mine into sandwich cookies with apricot preserves and seedless raspberry jam. They taste just like the fruit galettes from Harry and David. The secret is definitely in the brown sugar. Thanks!!
The brown sugar sounded interesting but it totally ruins the biscuit. I would say that many of the people rating this have never tried real shortbread if they think this turns out anything like what a shortbread should be. Neither the flavour nor texture is right for shortbread. It is dry and hard unlike the the melt in the mouth, buttery shortbread characteristic a shortbread should have. I'd suggest giving this a pass.
I've tried several shortbread recipes, and this is my favorite! I'm now sold on brown sugar as the way to sweeten shortbread. One variation I made: I rolled and cut out small (quarter-size) rounds, placed a dollop of melted semi-sweet chocolate on the back of half of them, and then placed another on top to make little bite-size sandwich cookies. I dusted them with powdered sugar, and they were an elegant and tasty addition to a fancy tray at Christmas. Thanks for the recipe!
Great! Drizzled them with white and dark chocolate, and they looked awesome! I added vanilla to it to add flavor too!
Absolutely fabulous. I loved them. My daughter and I made them together and it was really fun. I drank mine with a big cup of English tea. They were really great from the raw dough to the fully cooked. We would absolutely make them again.
Good recipe! Lovely, except, you do not dip scottish shortbread in chocolate!!!!!!!!! I would know, I'm from scottland, and good shortbread shouldn't need that. Trust me, just dust with sugar and stick to the recipe.
Simple recipe with complex taste, my kind of baking! I doubled the reciple and it fit perfectly into two large jelly-roll pans with a slight lip. I was also able to smooth the top with my rolling pin once in the pans for a neat, more professional appearance. Then, taking a regular dining fork, I pricked the dough into 4 X 6 rows. Because our last name has the initials VZ, instead of pricking random holes in the dough, I 'monogrammed' each cookie with the letters VZ, very simple to do cause let's face it, an 'S' would have posed a problem, the VZ was simple to make, being just straight lines. Anyway, when they came out of the oven (at 25 minutes), I quickly cut them along the perforated holes that represented the boundaries of each individual cookies (with a very sharp knife), then let them cool a while on the baking sheet, later transferred them to a cooling rack, later, when completely cool put inside a cookie tin. My relatives were delighted and impressed to be served monogrammed shortbread, and I felt like a genius, what a happy coincidence! I also added to the doubled recipe 2 tsps. almond extract and 2 tsps. vanilla extract, they were perfection. Melt in your mouth, very European taste. No embellishments needed, I think that would mar the simple elegance of this particular biscuit.
OMG!!!I am a huge fan of short bread...i always make whipped shortbread,but im glad i tried this recipe!!its awesome!! I also didnt roll my dough out and just formed the dough in a log,wrapped it plastic wrap then chilled in freezer for 20 min. then i cut it 1/2 inch rounds and marked with fork....turned out nice and tasted even better!! mine also took 15 min.....but really everyones oven works differently:) ty for such a great recipe!
I was very impressed with how simple this recipe was, and it produced AWESOME cookies! I made them for my husband for Christmas, and I will be making them again next year! One note, make sure you have plenty of flour, I ended up using the whole 4 1/2 C, plus maybe a bit more for dusting. All in all, these are GREAT!
These are good. I wish they were a LITTLE more buttery flavored though. Otherwise, perfect!
Excellent recipe. The only thing I did different: I did rolled the shortbread into little balls and used my thumb to flatten them somewhat. Then I sprinkled a little superfine white sugar on the tops of half of them. I couldn't stop eating them! My mother brought some to her job and her co-workers devoured them within the hour.
We added more vanilla to make the cookies just a tad sweeter. They came out so buttery and delicious! Also, we used cookie cutters to make the shapes more uniform. Thanks for a terrific recipe. My hubby LOVES them!
This is a great recipe. My grandmother used to make these. The only addition that I can recall was 1/2 tsp of salt and a pinch of baking powder. Thanks!
I grew up with this recipe, these are the only shortbread cookies I have ever known and the only ones I will ever make, i roll mine out and cut Christmas shapes or just circles, I add colored sugar to the tops (usually green and red as I only make them at Christmaas) I am glad to see there are others out there who enjoy as I have for 30 something yers:0)
So easy and the best simple recipe. I made these cookies and used a heart shaped cookie cutter and iced them with pink colored royal icing and used them as wedding reception favors. Everyone LOVED them! It's not so easy if you have a hand mixer. Try to use a stand mixer. It will save your wrist! Don't melt the butter, sit it out and let it soften. After the dough is mixed I covered my cutting board with a sprinkle of flour and placed parchment paper over the dough and rolled the dough out to 1/2 inch thickness and used a cookie cutter. I baked the cookies for 23 minutes, don't wait til it's too golden brown or they will be over done. Let the cookies cool and decorate with royal icing. Royal icing: 3 egg whites to 5 cups of confectioners (powedered) sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla or almond extract. Beat egg whites until foamy and add extract. While beating, add sugar. Beat until you reach desired thickness. If it's too thick add a little water (tablespoon at a time) if it's too thin, add more confectioners (powdered) sugar. The cookies are sooo easy to make and such a delicious taste. Don't subsitute with white sugar because white sugar doesn't taste half as good. Use brown sugar only. Light or Dark is fine. Shortbread is much more tastier than sugar cookies for decorating!
This is simple and great. I separated it into two balls and flavored one with orange flavoring and the other with almond. I dipped both in chocolate and put some grated orange peel on one and a single almond on the other. I took it to a food day at work and had raves and at least a dozen requests for the recipe. This is the simplest recipe I have ever used for a food day and the most requests for a recipe.
It was everything it promised to be. Not my favorite thing in the whole world, but really good for what it is.
OMG...I CURSE THE DAY THAT I FOUND THIS RECIPE...BECAUSE IT'S THAAATTTT GOOD! :) I was skeptical to try it bc I am a shortbread junkie and I really don't want to gain the weight...but I can't help it. I ate the entire batch. It's delicious! It tastes just like the shortbread from the store. Next time, I will add a bit more flour though to make it harder.
Come to mama...yummy, yummy and they melt in your mouth. I have used this recipe as my standard cookie decorating recipe for years and put them in little cookie bags for my friends as thank you's, Valentines, etc.
I made a half batch of this recipe using a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of vanilla just to try them out and they turned out really good. My family and guests devoured them immediately. For a holiday effect I rolled out the dough and cut out star shapes sprinkling granulated sugar on top of the rolled out dough before baking. Like someone else said, "They are so easy to make that you feel as though you are cheating."
These cookies are a nice take on regular shortbread, but my family missed the taste of icing sugar in the traditional recipe. However, they dissappeared from the table pretty quickly, and they do have a rich, buttery flavor. I would recommend rolling them to a 1/4" thickness instead of 1/2". They seemed too thick and the ones I made thinner cooked better and had a nice crunch to them.
I made this in my kitchen-aid, skipped the kneading. Rolled and patted the dough directly on to a large baking sheet, scored with a pizza cutter, pricked with a fork, and baked. Separated into individual cookes after they've cooled some. If you didn't completely cut through the dough with the pizza cutter, you can do it while still hot when you take them out of the oven.I cut them on the diagonal in a diamond shape so they wouldn't look like Club Crackers. Heavenly flavor!
Coming from Scotland I have been looking for a great shortbread recipe for some time. This one is perfect. I made it last night and most of it is gone.... I need to make a new batch tonight. It is quick, easy, cooks up a treat. Don't change a thing and thanks for the recipe.
I really enjoyed this. Light and flaky with a hint of brown sugar flavor. I might add some finely chopped pecans next time, just for my own preference, or a either use dark brown sugar or a touch of molasses. I kneaded this with the KitchenAid, switching from the paddle to the dough hook after the first addition of flour. I only needed 4 cups of flour for this. I'll make it again when I've got a spare POUND of butter handy! Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful recipe! Super quick. I've got a powerful mixer so I added all the flour and let it do the kneading. Then I scooped out cookie balls and pressed them down with a flat bottomed glass dipped in white sugar. Baked per directions. Wonderful for tea time!! Thanks~
These cookies came out very bland with no flavor whatsoever. Besides that, the dough was a huge mess to deal with. I won't be making these again.
I added 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. salt. I creamed butter and sugar for 10 min. I used the dough hook and kneaded for 7 min. I formed the dough into two separate rectangles wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled for 20 min., then sliced in 1/2" slices and placed on parchment lined cookie sheets. 25 min. was perfect I dipped half the cookies in chocolate. Excellent.
Ok, these cookies are amazing!! I made half-recipe, and they turned out perfect. The cookies look so beautiful, and they have that melt-in-your-mouth texture. The only thing I did differently was that I took the cookies out of the oven a few minutes earlier than 20 minutes because they were already done before that. Besides that, I kept everything else in this recipe the same. Bravo! Will definitely make again.
I have tried several recipes for things on this website. This is the first real winner I have found. I followed the recipe and added at total of 3 3/4 cups of flour. I added a 1/4 teaspoon of almond and 1/4 tsp of vanilla extract. Sprinked with sugar about 10 minutes into the baking. The cookies aren't too sweet or bland. True scottish shortbread isn't very sweet, so if you are looking for Lorna Doone, this isn't it. Only thing I did was cook it for about 30 minutes. I will see if they harden too fast. Tasted perfect right out of the oven and the whole house smelled like shortbread so I knew I was on the right track. A keeper recipe!
Such a simple recipe with an amazing flavor. The key is not to overwork or overcook. I also added chopped glazed pecans. My coworkers ate the entire batch within an hour.
Very tasty, heavy shortbread. Bake for less time (no more than 20 min) and possibly at a lesser temp (I turned it down just a touch to 315 instead of 325 and baked for 20 min and they came out just right). I burned the first pan on 325 for 20 min and my oven bakes about right on if not a touch hot. Very good, would go great with coffee. YUMMY!
What I love about this recipe is how simple it is.. I didn't knead and used 4 cups of flour. However, you can taste the brown sugar difference - which tastes great but is not the same as white sugar. Also the color is just a bit off due to the brown sugar.. it's not the snowy white color of scottish shortbread. Finally, if your cookie tastes like flour or spreads (loses its shape) - then you didn't use cold butter or you whipped it too long and warmed it up. The colder the butter the more tender/crumbly the cookie result.
For some reason these did not turn out at all. They bubbled and crisped in the oven instead of baking. But the raw dough tasted good, so I ended up frezzing the dough in balls so I can use it as cookie dough in a cupcake recipe and in ice cream, all I have to do is add chocolate chips.
Terrific recipe! I totally suggest substituting 1/2 C of RICE FLOUR for 1/2 C of regular. It makes a wonderful difference. Also, for the lazy bakers (like me), no need to roll out dough. Simply press into a jelly roll pan and cut into "strips or cookies" (before baking) with a pizza cutter. After baking go over cuts again with pizza cutter. Turns out wonderful.
Yummy! Mine weren't the exact texture of real scottish shortbread, but it didn't matter because they were still really tasty. I followed the recipe almost exactly, but I did use flour AND confectioners sugar to roll out the dough, so the added sweetness was nice!
I love this recipe--easy and delicious, with minimal cleanup--just a bowl, fork, and measuring cups! These are fantastic baked exactly as is, or modified to become chocolate shortbread cookies (I melt 4 squares unsweetened chocolate in the microwave, let this cool, and then mix in with the butter before creaming butter and sugar. Amazing!). These have become my go-to study food.
These are the best shortbread I have ever made! Similar to the taste of shortbread cookies from Big Island Candies in Hawaii. For an extra treat I melted chocolate chips in a double boiler and dipped half the cookie into it, placed it on saran wrap and put it into the fridge to cool. Once the chocolate has hardened they can be packaged and given away as gifts.
I have been looking for the perfect shortbread recipe, and I think this might be it! I have never thought or heard of using brown sugar, but the results were perfect. I quartered the recipe (1 stick butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar & 1 cup flour) as I did not want to have too many cookies. I beat in my stand mixer rather than kneading and rolling out the dough. Then I scooped and rolled about 2 teaspoons of dough into a ball, pushed down with fingers and cris-crossed with a fork and baked about 20 minutes. This made a dozen nice sized cookies as good as any shortbread you can buy. Next I might make a whole batch and dividing and add some chopped crystallized ginger, lemon zest and/or chocolate chips!
made it and ended up being a big hit.
Needs a pinch of salt and 2 drops of vanilla. I make these for my son ALL THE TIME! He LOVES them with half all purpose flour and half almond flour. YUMMMM!! I also refrigerate my dough in a long block then cut into rectangles and bake on parchment paper. (I have some in my oven right now .... If I think about it, I will take a pic and post it with this review) UPDATE: I make this recipe all the time now with my above changes, but now make them with half white and half brown sugar. This dough freezes well in a block/log and easy to have on have when company drops by.
I decided to try these as they were in the Christmas Cookie Countdown. I used in my Swedish Spritz maker and I thought they turned out great. I used the disc which makes lined bars and baked as long strips. I sprinkled with holiday sparkled sugar and baked. As soon as I removed them from the oven, I cut into small rectangles and served with the Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball on this website (which was also yummy). I would make these again as I think they had a nice flavor, texture. Gosh, they also couldn't have been simpler to make! Thanks for this great recipe!
This is a fantastic recipe! Very easy to make and SOOO delicious. My kids LOVED them! I altered the recipe only slightly: I used only 4C flour, added 1T vanilla, and a pinch of salt. I wanted strips that were easy and uniform so I baked them in a rectanglular springform pan for 30-35 minutes (golden brown) and cut them with a very sharp knife after they cooled for 20 minutes. Then I let them finish cooling on the pan. YUM!!!
Make these cookies as stated. Very easy and VERY good! Must love the taste of butter to love these cookies! Needless to say they were a hit in our house!
I roll the dough out on a 10x15 rimmed pan and cut in pan and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Make these almost weekly.
I thought this recipe was perfect, very simple, very delicious, worked out very well.
These are my favorite short bread cookies. I make them as directed, except that I shape them like regular cookies. I usually end up using about 4 cups of flour unless I am rolling them out to make actual shapes, then I use a little more. I bake them for about 20 minutes, though I have figured out "just" the color I like them and try to watch the last few minutes to be sure. These are so delicious with coffee or hot tea.
For a real treat. Melt grillradille(sp) bittersweet choc chips with 1 tbl shortening. Dip the top of the cookie in the choc and top with chopped peacans. The balance of the flavors are out of this world and taste like a very expensive bought cookie. Great for christmas giving. Thanks for the recipe.
Because I didn't have enough butter, almost half a kilo, I halved the recipe to see if the rave reviews were based on anything solid. I'm so glad I made this recipe! I actually used more flour then the recipe, only because the dough was to sticky to handle otherwise. As many here have said I too popped it in the freezer for a short amount and made little balls I pushed flat. They were delicious and I will definitely make these again (and again and again... ) !! Edit: I did make them again and I made them larger this time. I didn't like the structure in the finished larger cookies, therefore I've changed my star rating to three. So for small cookies, really good, for larger cookies, that's a no go (at least for me)
This recipe is fairly authentic, but way too much butter - which meant it was too heavy and greasy. I found an alternative British recipe with 8z butter, 4z sugar, 12z flour baked at 350F for 30mins which gave much better results.
This is the perfect recipe. My family has used it for generations. No, it isn't the light fluffy kind, Scottish Shortbread isn't supposed to be!
These are wonderful and so quick to make! I halved the recipe and needed only 2 cups of flour for my cookies. I used a small cookie scoop, instead of doing strips, and got 30 cookies. I added sprinkles to half the batter because my 5-year old doesn't think a cookie is a cookie if it doesn't have chocolate chips or sprinkles...preferably both! Will make again!
These cookies were perfect! We cut them into heart shapes and dipped half of the cookie into melted chocolate (and some sprinkles for Valentine's Day last year). Everyone loved them. Easy, looks pretty, tastes yummy.
I made these heavenly shortbread bars then dipped one end of each in melted dark chocolate, sprinkled with crushed Candy Canes on 1/2 batch and chopped hazelnuts on the other 1/2 batch. I recently have moved to a small northern community and decided to give these along with my other Christmas cookies as neighbourly gifts... I am now the talk of the town! One person even started to cry after only one bite. Linda, you are my hero for sharing this great idea ;-)
A perfect recipe! Simplicity itself, these do require tender care when rolling as over rolling will make the resulting shortbread tough. I shape it into a rectangle by hand to start with then a few passes of the rolling pin, I'm ready to cut them by hand and bake. Shortbread is not supposed to be overly sweet and these are perfect with tea or coffee. The brown sugar provides a depth of flavor that is divine! Try these, make some tea, relax and enjoy!
My husband loves sugar cookies and shortbread and I am always trying new sugar cookie recipes for him. He loved these! The amount of butter is ridiculous so they will only be for special occasions! We rolled them out and used cookie cutters. I used dark brown sugar and they turned brown versus the gold of shortbread, so if you want that look use light brown sugar. And you definitely need to chill the dough prior to use.
This recipe is great with the addition of 2 tsp. of vanilla and a 1/2 tsp. salt.
Out of all the shortbread recipes on this site, this is my favorite and I will use it as my standard from now on! The key is the brown sugar (sometimes when I'm feeling rebellious I use DARK brown sugar). If you're so inclined and have a wicked streak like me, dip one half of each shortbread cookie in chocolate. I know, sinful. This really is easy and fun and a great one to make with kids.
This shortbread recipe is SO delicious and SO easy to make! Using only real butter results in a rich flavor, yet the amount of brown sugar is not overpowering with sweetness. I didn't alter the recipe one bit, and, they turned out wonderful! Thanks, Linda!
YUMMY! 2nd time these have been requested by friends. I did add the vanilla and I use powdered sugar to roll the dough out not flour. Can I just say MELT IN MOUTH GOOD.
Really great texture. I was worried it would be a little bland when I tasted the dough but it wasn't. I hand formed cookie patties instead of rolling out and cutting. I like that because it gave each cookie a little character. We topped it with some homemade buttercream icing. Yum!!
AWESOME RECIPE!!! I reduced the amount of flour to 4 cups and made cookies instead of cutting the dough into strips. Twenty (20) minutes turned out to be the ideal amount of time for baking in my oven. They came out perfectly! And they are delicious! THANK YOU!!! :)
Good basic shortbread. Easy to cut or double the recipe. This is definitely one of my guilty pleasures.
These came out very tasty. They were very crumbly until they cooled completely. They were perfect the next morning with my coffee. I rolled in golfball-sized balls, rolled them in white sugar and some in colored sugar, and flattened slightly with the bottom of a glass. On a few I pressed a hersheys kiss in the center and those came out great. Also, I melted some chocolate chips and half dipped a few in melted chocolate. All varieties were great. Only bummer is there's SO much butter in them and it's expensive right now. I halved the recipe and that called for 2 sticks for 12 cookies... YIKES on the hips! To sum it up: Good cookie!
This has been my standard shortbread recipe for years, and I get rave reviews on it. My family and friends literally BEG for it. They speak of it in hushed tones of reverence. You HAVE to try this recipe if you like shortbread. It also lends itself to variations - add almond extract for a brief glimpse of heaven. THANK YOU Linda!
Great flavor! Not as good if made into a drop cookie with jam. Best if rolled flat.
My husband really like this shortbread. He gives 4.5, I left it in the oven a little longer than recipe suggested and it came out crispy. I left the dough in the fridge for overnight. Will make this again. Check out the photo.. :)
This is an exceptional recipe for shortbread! I make a shortbread chocolate chip cookie & this is the same base but w/ chips added & cooked as a drop cookie. I followed other reviewer's suggestions not only from this recipe but from many of the other ones on this site & used only 4 c of flour & I also believe it was perfect! I added a splash of vanilla & patted it out into a jelly roll pan & pricked it & sprinkled it w/ sugar crystals. My daughter had to have an authentic Scottish dish for a presentation @ school & we did it late @ night so we chose this option instead of of individual cookies. I cooked it about 22 min & let it cool b4 cutting into bite size pieces & it didn't crumble @ all. Absolutely melted on our tongues!
DELICIOUSLY WONDERFUL DELICIOUSLY WONDERFUL! These cookies are truly DELICIOUSLY I added 1 1/2 tsp of Almond extract & 1 tsp of vanilla extract PERFECT! I recommend this recipes to everyone,I also think it's a very nice,easy recipe that your kids can help you make..Terry137
Perfect as is. I did not change a thing on this one which almost never happens for me. I took them to a potluck and there was not a single one left!
Delicious cookie. I followed the directions and my cookies came out really thin and crispy. Maybe I over mixed the dough? My next batch I will mix less and cut them thicker.
Not only is this a perfectly rich, simple cookie, but it's also excellent to use with cutters, as it does not spread at all and keeps beautiful crisp edges-especially if rolled out a little thinner than recommended. Not overly sweet, they actually taste better if kept for a day or two, and are wonderful with tea or cocoa. I dipped some in chocolate, and the kids devoured them, but I preferred them plain myself. I will never make a different shortbread, except maybe to add flavors to this one, it's that yummy.
