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Shortbread Cookies

Photo Credit
Lilyana Vynogradova/shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Category
Cookies and Bars
Course
Desserts
Occasions
Christmas
New Year's Day
Preparation Method
Bake
Sources
Favorite New England Recipes

A great shortbread cookie has a mouthwateringly buttery taste and a crumbly texture. Homemade is far better than store-bought, with real butter flavor and a more tender and delicate texture. Enjoy with coffee or serve at a tea party!

Some folks have asked about the rice flour. Shortbread is often made with a combination of rice flour and normal flour, and sometimes you see recipes with cornflour (cornstarch). Rice flour makes the shortbread a little more tender, though some people can’t discern the difference. If you do not have rice flour, you can certainly substitute with plain/all-purpose flour. 

While shortbreads can be baked into fingers, we also like the circle or “petticoat” style, which is divided into slices.

Ingredients
3 cups sifted flour (plain/all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 pound salted butter, softened
6 tablespoons sugar (castor or superfine)
pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

Instructions

Set oven to 400°F. 

Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift the flours together and add salt if you’re using unsalted butter. Ideally, sift the dry ingredients a couple times. Cream the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon. Add the sifted ingredients and mix by hand until you have a soft dough. Be careful not to knead and overhandle or the shortbread won’t have as delicate a taste.

Shape into medium-thick, round cakes the size of a saucer, place on cookie sheets, prick with a fork, and flute the edges.

  • Or, press into a large circle about 8 to 10 inches across and about 3/4 inch thick. Mark out 16 ‘slices’ with a knife (just don’t cut all the way through) and put this on the cookie sheets. Or you can use any round cake pan. Prick dough with a fork and flute the edges with your thumb and forefinger.
  • Or, instead of a large circle, you can press the dough into squares and smaller circles the size of a saucer.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight cookie tin or container.

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<span>Danielle Poirier</span> Mon, 06/19/2023 - 14:05
Does anyone have a recipe for shortbread usng cornstarch? It turns out beautifully!
<span>Eileen Ross</span> Fri, 12/11/2020 - 10:38
I have been baking Scottish Shortbread for over 50 years, and never, ever, baked it at 400 degrees! My Scottish grandmother's recipe says "bake in a slow oven". I bake mine at 350 and it turns out perfectly.
<span>Karen Van Munster</span> Sat, 12/14/2019 - 02:42
You can use semolina instead of rice flour.this is good biscuits for vegans has no egg.
<span>Sandy Metzler</span> Sun, 12/08/2024 - 08:50
Vegans do not eat butter. All great shortbread starts with that.
<span>Shirley</span> Fri, 12/06/2019 - 18:22
Anyway to make a soft shortbread cookie?
<span>Deb</span> Fri, 12/06/2019 - 11:39
1.) are there acceptable alternatives to rice flour?
<span>Michele</span> Sat, 12/09/2023 - 15:53
I also wondering if I could use almond flour instead of rice flour?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 12/12/2023 - 10:28

Hi, Michele. Yes, you can sub 1:1 if using almond flour instead of rice flour. 

 <span>Christie Smith</span> Sat, 01/26/2019 - 15:13
Rice flour? Wondering if Rice flour is an ingredient in "true" Scottish Shortbread?
<span>Marie Weltmer</span> Mon, 12/31/2018 - 16:00
I make a similar recipe and use the food processor. It’s sandy but then I pat it on the cookie pan. Make a double recipe one at a time.