Our Favorite Shortbread Cookies
- PREP 50min
- COOK 1hrs
- TOTAL 1hrs 50min
We love these rich and buttery shortbread cookies. The recipe is simple and the cookies are sturdy enough to be kept for days (if not weeks when chilled). There are only a few ingredients required and no mixer! You only need a a bowl and spoon.
You Will Need
12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons (60g) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
Directions
Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides (this helps remove the baked cookies from the pan later).
Add 12 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small saucepan and heat over low until melted. Or, add to a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted.
While the butter melts, use your fingers to rub 5 tablespoons sugar, 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla, and 1 teaspoon orange zest together in a medium bowl.
Stir in the warm melted butter. Then, add 1 ½ cups flour and mix until just combined. It will look shiny from all the butter.
Press the dough evenly in the foil-lined pan and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight (there is no need to refrigerate).
Position a rack towards the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F (149°C).
Bake the shortbread until set and barely golden at the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, but leave the oven turned on. Lightly sprinkle the top of the shortbread with sugar (a tablespoon should do it). Allow the shortbread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the shortbread (using the overhanging sides of the foil), and then place it onto a cutting board. Cut the shortbread into squares or triangles using a serrated or thin sharp knife. (I get 16 squares or 32 triangles.)
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or more foil. Then, place the shortbread cookies onto it, leaving a little space between them. Bake for 15 minutes, and then cool on a wire rack.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week (or freeze for 1 month).
- We researched several recipes before coming up with this recipe. The most fascinating one we found was from Alice Medrich. We love her method of double-baking the cookies. It’s what makes these cookies the closest to our favorite store-bought Scottish shortbreads. You can find her Shortbread Cookies recipe in her cookbook, Pure Dessert. We also learned a lot from Fine Cooking’s shortbread cookie tips.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.