Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Recipe video above. These are the shortbread cookies I've loved since childhood. They differ from Scottish Shortbread as these cookies are incredibly soft - like little pillows. The secret to making these wonderfully soft cookies is to add cornstarch to the batter and whip the cookie dough until it resembles whipped cream. My mom always adds a little maraschino cherry on top of hers, but I prefer to use a dried cranberry. You could press in a chocolate chip or even leave them as is.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups salted butter, at room temperature - see notes
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Position your oven rack in the middle of your oven.
- Add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla to a deep mixing bowl.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups salted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ cup cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Begin mixing the ingredients using electric beaters at their lowest speed. Once the dry ingredients begin mixing with the butter and are not dusty anymore, increase the speed to medium.
- A few minutes later, the dough will start to look like sand. Keep beating the dough for another 3-4 minutes and it will start to come together.
- Once the dough comes together and your beaters start straining, increase the speed to high and beat the dough for another 1-2 minutes, or until it resembles thick whipped cream.
- Drop the dough into small mounds (about 2-3 tablespoons) on a baking sheet. If using, gently press a dried cranberry into the tops of the cookies. Note: Make sure the cookie dough is cold before you put it in the oven. If your house is quite warm, chill the cookies in the fridge before you bake them. Bake for 15 minutes. It is best to bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Use a new sheet pan for the next batch. The cookie dough must be added to a cool baking sheet.Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries
- Let the cookies cool for at least 10 minutes then use an offset spatula or slotted fish spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet pan and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
How do I know the shortbread is done? The cookies will puff up ever so slightly, and the bottoms will be the lightest golden brown, while the tops will remain almost white.
Butter: This recipe works best with salted butter. Remember to let it soften to room temperature before you use it. If you only have unsalted butter, add one teaspoon of kosher salt or ½ teaspoon of table salt to the batter.
Sweetness: This shortbread is not overly sweet. If you'd like them a little sweeter, a sprinkle of icing sugar after they come out of the oven does the trick!
Flour: It's important to measure the flour correctly. Too much flour will prevent the dough from coming together. Use a spoon to sprinkle the flour into a measuring cup and then level the top with a knife.
Serving: 1 cookie, Calories: 178kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 109mg, Potassium: 17mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 378IU, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 1mg