Description
Scottish shortbread delights taste buds with its rich buttery flavor, perfected in the highlands. Crumbly, melt-in-mouth cookies showcase simple ingredients that connect you to generations of baking tradition.
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) cold salted butter (preferably frozen)
- ¾ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) rice flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated white sugar (or castor sugar)
Instructions
- Preparation: Position the oven rack in the center and warm to 300°F (150°C), selecting an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
- Mixing: Combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and rice flour (or cornstarch) in a large mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Butter Integration: Grate extremely cold butter directly over the flour blend, delicately working it into the mixture using fingertips until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs without forming a cohesive dough.
- Pan Preparation: Transfer the crumbly mixture into the tart pan, gently pressing and smoothing to create an even layer, then puncture small holes across the surface using a fork.
- Scoring and Shaping: Use a sharp knife to score the shortbread into sixteen precise wedges before baking.
- Baking: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating occasionally to ensure uniform golden coloration.
- Cooling and Serving: Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then gently release from the tart pan, cut along the scored lines, and allow the sixteen wedges to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Chill Butter Effectively: Use extremely cold butter and grate it quickly to maintain optimal texture and prevent unwanted softening during preparation.
- Handle Dough Gently: Avoid overworking the mixture; delicate fingertip blending prevents tough shortbread and preserves the signature crumbly consistency.
- Score Before Baking: Create precise wedge cuts before baking to ensure clean, easy separation and professional-looking presentation after cooling.
- Monitor Browning Carefully: Watch shortbread during baking to achieve uniform golden color without burning, rotating pan occasionally for even heat distribution.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 105 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg