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    Home » Recipes » Cookie Recipes

    Traditional Scottish Shortbread

    Published: Aug 7, 2023 by Chef Dennis Littley

    189 shares
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    5 from 39 votes
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    Pinterest image for Scottish Shortbread.

    Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies has always been one of my favorite cookies. Made with four simple ingredients, flour, butter, sugar and salt, these crumbly, buttery, delicious shortbread cookies will be a sweet treat your whole family will love!

    Scottish shortbread on a white plate.

    There are lots of shortbread recipes on the internet but not all of them are Scottish Shortbread recipes, and there is a difference. Trust me when I tell you this is the best shortbread cookie recipe you’ll ever make.

    Scottish shortbread on a white plate.

    Although the baking time is a little longer than most cookie recipes, my traditional shortbread recipe couldn’t be easier to make and the results are well worth the extra time in the oven.

    If you love delicious cookies make sure to try my Pistachio Cornmeal Butter Cookies.

    Table of Contents:

    • Ingredients to make Scottish Shortbread
      • Made with four basic ingredients
    • How to make Traditional Scottish Shortbread
    • Recipe FAQ’s
    • More Recipes You’ll Love!
    • Best Traditional Scottish Shortbread
      • Ingredients
      • Instructions
      • Nutrition

    Ingredients to make Scottish Shortbread

    Ingredients to make recipe.

    Let’s start by gathering the simple ingredients we need to make Traditional Scottish Shortbread. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”

    Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Made with four basic ingredients

    • all-purpose flour
    • unsalted butter (European butter is best)
    • caster sugar (superfine white sugar)
    • table salt

    How to make Traditional Scottish Shortbread

    Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal. Set aside until needed. *You can also use a 9×9 inch pan or round cake pan.

    collage showing how to make dough.
    • Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor (you can also use a large bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to make the dough).
    • Pulse the dry ingredients until well combined.
    • Add the butter to the flour mixture. The butter should be room temperature but not too soft.
    • Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, but is still soft and pliable.

    It might be easier to dump the dough out on a lightly floured surface to form the shortbread dough into a ball and use a rolling pin to form the sheet, but adding extra flour will negatively affect the cookie.

    collage showing how to bake recipe.
    • Add the mixture to the parchment-lined baking pan.
    • Press dough into the pan, using your fingers and hands to firmly press the mixture down. *If the shortbread dough is too dry to work with, it wasn’t pulsed long enough.
    • Prick the dough at 1-inch intervals with the tines of a fork. Then score the dough with a sharp knife into 2 x 1-inch bars. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
    • Place the baking pan on the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown. Do not overbake or the cookies will be dry.

    *Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.

    Cut the shortbread into bars using the lines you scored the dough with as a guide. Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the pan.

    You can also use a round cake pan to make these buttery shortbread cookies. Place a large circle of parchment paper in the bottom of the cake pan before adding the cookie dough.

    I have seen recipes that use a cookie cutter to cut out individual cookies and bake them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, but that method yields dry cookies that don’t have the same crumbly texture.

    close up of three scottish shortbread stacked on the counter.

    These delightful Scottish Shortbread cookies ( aka biscuits) can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days and can also be frozen.

    If you’re looking for the perfect cookie for special occasions, dip the shortbread cookie in melted chocolate. That makes them even harder to resist and more delicious.

    Recipe FAQ’s

    What’s 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 is the secret to making good Scottish shortbread?

    The most important ingredient is the butter. Use the best quality butter available, and make sure it’s real butter. The other crucial part of the recipe is not to overwork the dough. That will make the cookies tough instead of tender.

    Can I add other flavors to Scottish shortbread?

    Absolutely! Although the traditional version is plain, you can add various flavors such as vanilla extract, lemon zest, almond extract, or even mini chocolate chips for a different twist on this classic cookie.

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    Scottish shortbread on a white plate.
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    5 from 39 votes

    Best Traditional Scottish Shortbread

    Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies has always been one of my favorite cookies. Made with four simple ingredients, flour, butter, sugar and salt, these crumbly, buttery, delicious shortbread cookies will be a sweet treat your whole family will love!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time35 minutes mins
    Total Time50 minutes mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: English, Scottish
    Servings: 32
    Calories: 83kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 8 oz unsalted butter softened – (2 sticks = 1 cup)
    • ½ cup caster sugar superfine sugar – if you only have regular sugar, pulse it in a food processor until its a finer grain. Do Not USe Powdered Sugar.
    • ¼ teaspoon table salt
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    Instructions

    • Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal. Set aside. You can also use a 9×9 inch pan or round cake pan.
    • Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined.
    • Add the butter to the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, but is still soft and pliable.
    • Press the mixture into the parchment-lined baking pan.  Use your fingers and hands to firmly press the mixture down. 
      If the mixture is too dry to work with, it wasn't pulsed long enough.
    • Prick dough at 1-inch intervals with the tines of a fork. Then score the dough with a knife into 2 x 1-inch bars. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
    • Place the baking pan on the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until set and lightly golden brown. Do not overbake or the cookies will be dry,
    • Place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
    • Cut the shortbread into bars using the lines you scored the dough with as a guide. Let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the pan.
    • Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. The cookies can be kept frozen in a well-sealed container, frozen for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.03g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

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    1. Janine Schreiber

      August 12, 2023 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      Dear Dennis,

      I tried your shortbread recipe. It was great!

      I have a real challenge for you. Growing up, my family used to frequent a Cantonese Chinese Restaurant. They made the best Cantonese BBQ Ribs. The husband and wife retired so, I asked the owner if he could give me his recipe and I promised that I would not sell the recipe, I would only enjoy them at my home. This is all he gave me. Do you think you could figure out the measurements of each of the items he has given me for a rack of pork ribs? This is what he had to say:

      My wife starts with Sweet Baby Ray’s and doctors it up with Chinese 5 spice powder, pineapple juice, tomato ketchup, chopped garlic and Hoisin sauce which adds a bit of sweetness . You will have to experiment to get the desired taste.

      Let me know if you can figure it out. I would be eternally grateful!

      Janine

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        August 12, 2023 at 2:09 pm

        I will put it on my list of recipes to do but I may not be able to get to it for quite some time.

        Reply

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