With only 4 simple ingredients, this recipe for traditional Scottish Shortbread comes together so easily. Buttery, flaky, and sweet, this shortbread recipe will become a family favorite to be enjoyed throughout the year!
Many of my childhood memories stem back to my grandmother. During our winter breaks from school growing up, my brothers and I would spend every day sitting in her kitchen, playing games and enjoying her delicious treats.
One recipe that stands out from the rest, however, was the staple of her kitchen: Scottish Shortbread. These sweet, buttery treats were essential at Christmastime and birthdays too. This shortbread brings back some of my fondest memories of her, my family and my childhood. I was lucky enough to have inherited her recipe, and today I am sharing it with you.
Why You’ll Love Scottish Shortbread
- Uses 4 simple ingredients that you probably have on hand.
- A buttery, flaky, sweet cookie
- Versatile and perfect for all occasions
- Shortbread stays fresh for up to two weeks and freezes well.
Traditional Scottish Shortbread Ingredients
- 1/2 pound of unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup confectioners (10x) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups flour
- Optional: granulated sugar – to sprinkle on top of the shortbread pieces
How to Make Shortbread
- Begin by settingout a 1/2 pound of butter to soften.
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Sift together a 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, a 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, and 2 cups of flour.Then combine this mixture with the butter.
- Now, comes the fun part: mixing the dough by hand.My children loved to help when they were young, and since there is no raw egg, I wouldn’t worry if some of the dough made its way into their mouths, as it inevitably did!
- Prepare your baking sheet/pan with parchment paper.
- Shape the dough so that it is about 1/2 inch thick.
- Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.
- Bake in a slow oven at 300 degrees for about a half hour until the dough turns to a light brown.
How to Shape the Dough
You want to shape the dough, keeping itabout 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Resist the urge to roll it thinner.
My grandmother always formed circles that she would cut into triangles. Then she would sprinkle a little granulated sugar on the top before baking.
Or, place the dough in a parchment paper lined jellyroll pan or square baking dish, again ensuring it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rectangles. Using a fork, you can prick the top of the shortbread for an authentic look.
Other ideas are to roll the dough and cut out the cookies. I used this decorative snowflake embossed rolling pin and then used this biscuit cutter set to cut out the shortbread cookies.
Don’t forget to sprinkle a little granulated sugar on top of the shortbread before baking!
Does shortbread dough need to be chilled before baking?
No, there is no need to chill the dough before baking.
How long will shortbread keep?
Store your baked shortbread in a sealed container, tin, or plastic bag. It should keep for up to two weeks. If you are planning on keeping it for longer than that, you can freeze it.
Thank you so much for visiting today! I hope you give this shortbread recipe a try! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
I would love to connect with you onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest, or here on the blog!
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How to Make Traditional Scottish Shortbread
With only 4 simple ingredients, this recipe for traditional Scottish Shortbread comes together so easily. Buttery, flaky, and sweet, this shortbread recipe will become a family favorite to be enjoyed throughout the year!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Servings 18 cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound butter unsalted, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners (10x) powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch sifted
- 2 cups flour sifted
- granulated sugar optional for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Begin by settingout a 1/2 pound of butter to soften.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Sift together a 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, a 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, and 2 cups of flour.
Then combine this mixture with the butter.
Mixing the dough by hand.
Prepare your baking sheet/pan with parchment paper. Shape the dough so that it is about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar.
Bake in a slow oven at 300 degrees for about a half hour until the dough turns to a light brown.
Notes
You want to shape the dough, keeping itabout 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Resist the urge to roll it thinner.
My grandmother always formed circles that she would cut into triangles. Then she would sprinkle a little granulated sugar on the top before baking.
Or, place the dough in a parchment paper lined jellyroll pan or square baking dish, again ensuring it is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rectangles. Using a fork, you can prick the top of the shortbread for an authentic look.
The number of shortbread pieces this yields depends on the shape and size of the cookies you make.
Store your baked shortbread in a sealed container, tin, or plastic bag. It should keep for up to two weeks. If you are planning on keeping it for longer than that, you can freeze it.
Keyword how to make Scottish shortbread, shortbread, shortbread cookies
