Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

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Melt-in-your-mouth Scottish Shortbread with cornflour (corn starch), an old-fashioned recipe that is incredibly easy to make, and really quick too. The shortbread cookies are crumbly, rich and buttery, and ready from scratch in around half an hour. This traditional recipe is very popular all year round, but particularly at Christmas.

Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (1)

Shortbread must be one of the easiest desserts to whip up. All you need is 4 ingredients - 3 if you don't use cornflour. Cornflour or corn starch might not be a traditional ingredient, but it makes the shortbread so much more tender and crumblier, that I can't possibly not use it.

And even so, shortbread only requires ingredients that we always have around - no slaving away for hours, no cream to worry about, but the result is the most incredible bites you can possibly get.

Shortbread is immensely popular throughout December, and in particular at Christmas. You can choose any cookie cutter you like for a more festive look, or just some regular cutters, it really don't matter much. A similar recipe is my Viennese Fingers which have a crumbly and rich texture too.

Serve these heavenly treats with a hot cup of tea, coffee or a good old hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream for the ultimate festive experience. Other Scottish Christmas treats include these delicious Ecclefechan Tarts which are absolutely delicious.

Jump to:
  • Ingredients needed
  • Variations
  • Step-by-step photos and instructions
  • Expert tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Other shortbread recipes
  • Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients needed

Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (2)
  • flour - regular plain flour is the best for the recipe
  • cornflour - or corn starch in the USA - please not it is not cornmeal, which is yellow and usually used in polenta, that's something totally different
  • sugar - I used caster sugar, which is a lot finer that the regular granulated sugar
  • butter - I used salted butter, which works really well in shortbread

Variations

This shortbread can be made with icing sugar or powdered sugar too - which will result in a much finer texture. It's totally up to you which one you like to use.

I did not add any flavouring at all, as I love the simplicity of this recipe, but vanilla extract can be a lovely addition if you wish.

Step-by-step photos and instructions

  1. Add the sugar and butter to a large bowl
  2. Use a hand mixer to beat them well until you get a creamy texture
  3. Add the flour and cornflour, and knead to get a smooth dough
Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (3)
  • 4. Flour the work surface well to avoid the dough sticking to it, and use a rolling pin to roll it to a thickness of half a cm
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes, then arrange them on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper
  • Use a fork to prick the cookies in a few places, then sprinkle caster sugar over them
  • bake in the preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius (340 Fahrenheit) for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies are firm to touch and the edges are slightly golden
  • Remove the tray from the oven and leave the cookies to cool down for 10 minutes on the tray before transferring them to a cooling rack
Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (4)

Expert tips

This old-fashioned shortbread recipe is really easy to make, and pretty much failproof. I did not chill the cookies before putting them in the oven, as the temperature in the kitchen at the time of the baking was rather cool.

But if your dough is too soft and warm, you can chill the cookies after shaping them for at least 10-15 minutes.

Overworking the dough would also cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven, so the firmer the dough is, the better cookies you get.

Poking the shortbread helps distribute the heat evenly and bake the cookies to perfection - I haven't done it with my other shortbread variations, but the classic recipe benefits from this step.

Recipe FAQs

Is butter or margarine better for shortbread?

Definitely butter! The margarine simply doesn't have the right texture to keep the shortbread tender and flavourful.

Why did my shortbread spread too much in the oven?

When the dough is too soft and warm, the biscuits/cookies spread in the oven. You can either refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes, or cut out the shapes you need, and then refrigerate. The main thing is for the dough to be form and cold.

Do you need to use cornflour to make shortbread?

Although cornflour is not essential, it does help with the soft and crumbly texture.

Other shortbread recipes

  • Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
  • Coconut Shortbread Cookies
  • Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies
  • Lemon and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (9)

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Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (10)

Scottish Shortbread

Melt-in-your-mouth Scottish Shortbread with cornflour (corn starch), an old-fashioned recipe that is incredibly easy to make, and really quick too. The shortbread cookies are crumbly, rich and buttery, and ready from scratch in around half an hour. This traditional recipe is very popular all year round, but particularly at Christmas.

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 cookies

Calories: 137kcal

Author: Daniela Apostol

Ingredients

  • 250 g plain flour
  • 100 g cornflour ( corn starch)
  • 100 g caster sugar + more to sprinkle on the cookies
  • 225 g salted butter, at room temperature

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (340 Fahrenheit).

  • Add the soften butter and caster sugar to a large bowl, and use a hand mixer to cream them well.

  • Add the sifted flour and cornflour, and knead well to get a smooth dough.

  • Flour the work surface to avoid the dough sticking to it, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a thickness of half a cm.

  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes - mine has a dimeter of 6cm.

  • Arrange the cookies on a baking tray lined with non-stick paper - you will have to work in batches as there are many cookies.

  • Use a fork to prick the cookies a few times, then sprinkle them with caster sugar.

  • Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cookies are firm to touch and the edges are slightly golden.

  • Leave the shortbread to cool down in the tray for 10 minutes, before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Video

Notes

  • Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
  • The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
  • This old-fashioned shortbread recipe is really easy to make, and pretty much failproof. I did not chill the cookies before putting them in the oven, as the temperature in the kitchen at the time of the baking was rather cool.
  • But if your dough is too soft and warm, you can chill the cookies after shaping them for at least 10-15 minutes.
  • Overworking the dough would also cause the cookies to spread too much in the oven, so the firmer the dough is, the better cookies you get.
  • Poking the shortbread helps distribute the heat evenly and bake the cookies to perfection - I haven't done it with my other shortbread variations, but the classic recipe benefits from this step.

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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Scottish Shortbread - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

actually, no. "Shortbread" is just Scottish shortbread; they're one and the same. While the recipe has changed throughout its history, and there is a version of shortbread from Ireland, the original shortbread you're familiar with comes from Scotland.

What is the secret to making good shortbread? ›

Tips To Make the Best Shortbread Cookies
  • Choose High Quality Butter. No matter what brand of butter you buy, if it's real butter, you can rest assured that it's the best. ...
  • Keep Ingredients Simple. ...
  • Add Flavor. ...
  • Don't Overwork. ...
  • Shape Dough. ...
  • Chill Before Baking. ...
  • Bake Until Golden. ...
  • Add Finishing Touches.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

What is the world's famous shortbread? ›

Royal Household. Walker's Shortbread is honoured to carry a Royal Warrant, granted by Her Majesty the Queen, for the supply of Shortbread and Oatcakes. Walker's Shortbread is a gift fit for a king, and a treat befitting any special occasion.

What is shortbread called in Scotland? ›

Triangular wedges of shortbread became known as "petticoat tails", and this form of shortbread has become particularly associated with Mary, Queen of Scots. It has been suggested that a French term for the wedges of shortbread was petits gâteaux or petites gatelles – little cakes, and this became "petticoat tails".

Why do Scottish people eat shortbread? ›

Shortbread was an expensive luxury and for ordinary people, shortbread was a special treat reserved just for special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and New Year.

Why put egg in shortbread? ›

This unexpected addition will make buttery confections like shortbreads and shortcakes even more tender and flaky. “Biscuits should be crumbly, buttery and sweet,” reads a headnote for a cinnamon sugar-spiced shortbread recipe in the Ritz London Cookbook.

Why do you put shortbread in the fridge before baking? ›

Why do you put shortbread cut-out cookies in the fridge before baking? This is to resolidify the butter. The butter is at room temperature when making the dough resulting in a soft dough. If baked straight away, the butter would melt away immediately when hitting the hot oven and the shortbread would spread.

Why does shortbread have holes in the top? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

What are the disadvantages of shortbread? ›

Sugar provides a fast source of energy. There are rarely any artificial additives. Cons: Shortbread is a weight watcher's nightmare because it is extremely high in saturated fat and calories.

What happens if you don't chill shortbread? ›

But in this shortbread cookie recipe, it really makes a difference. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape. If you don't chill your shortbread dough, the cookies will spread as they bake.

Why is my shortbread raw in the middle? ›

If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.

What is shortbread called in America? ›

Americans are the outlier on how we use "biscuit"

To most of the rest of the English-speaking world, a biscuit is what Americans would refer to as either a cookie or a cracker. Biscuits can be sweet (shortbread) or savory. They're baked in the oven, and they're crisp, not chewy.

What country makes the best shortbread? ›

Scotland has gifted the world with many treasures, including the Loch Ness Monster, stuffed sheep stomach, and the voice of Sheena Easton. Scotland has also given the world shortbread. For something traditionally made with just three ingredients (butter, flour, and sugar), shortbread shouldn't be hard to screw up.

Why is it called billionaire shortbread? ›

The name "millionaire's shortbread" appears to have originated in Scotland. The "millionaire" prefix to millionaire's shortbread or millionaires slice implies a level of decadence and wealth to the sweet treat, that it is an upgrade from regular shortbread.

What are the three traditional shapes of shortbread? ›

There are 3 shapes: fingers, petticoat tails, and rounds

Meet the 3 shortbread shapes: petticoat tails, rounds, and fingers (the most popular type).

Why is it called millionaire shortbread? ›

The name "millionaire's shortbread" appears to have originated in Scotland. The "millionaire" prefix to millionaire's shortbread or millionaires slice implies a level of decadence and wealth to the sweet treat, that it is an upgrade from regular shortbread.

Should shortbread be crunchy or soft? ›

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

What do Americans call shortbread? ›

Shortbread isn't a bread, it's what we Americans call a cookie. It its homeland across the pond it's a biscuit. The short part of the name is because it's made with a dough rich in fat (preferably really good butter). This is called short dough.

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