Shortbread Cookie Recipe

This shortbread cookie recipe makes tender, buttery, classic shortbread cookies that hold their shape in the oven and melt in your mouth. Dipping in chocolate is optional, but highly recommended!

Recipe includes a how-to video!

Course cookie, Cookies, Dessert, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Chilling Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings cookies (see note)

Calories 67kcal

Author Sam Merritt

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened
¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon table salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat butter until lightened, smooth and creamy.
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
Gradually add sugar, stirring until light and creamy.
¾ cup (95 g) powdered sugar
Add vanilla extract and stir well.
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt and whisk until combined.
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon table salt
Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until completely combined.
Form dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes.
Once cookie dough is nearly done chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured surface until the dough is between ⅛”-¼” thickness. Press a cookie cutter directly into dough, making cuts close together, and place cookies on baking sheet spacing at least 2” apart. Combine any remaining scraps of cough into a ball and re-roll to make more cookies.
Transfer baking sheet to center rack of 350F (175C) oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn a very light golden brown (bake time will vary depending on thickness of dough and size of cookie cutter).
If desired, melt 1 cup/6 oz/170g chocolate and dip completely cooled cookies into chocolate. Place cookies on a wire rack and allow chocolate to set before serving.

Video

Notes

Number of cookies

This will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutter used and how thick or thin you roll the dough. I use a 2” cookie cutter and get about 44 cookies.

Butter

Upgrade to European-style butter for richer-tasting, more buttery cookies.

Vanilla

Elevate your cookies by substituting 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste or the seeds of a scraped vanilla bean for the vanilla extract.

Variations

Make a brown sugar shortbread by reducing the powdered sugar to ½ cup (63g), cream ¼ cup (50g) of brown sugar with the butter, and increase cornstarch to 3 Tablespoons.

Original recipe

Original recipe can be found here.

Nutrition