Shortbread
Shortbread is a type of cookie which is traditionally made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three parts plain white flour, although other ingredients like ground rice or cornstarch are sometimes added to alter the texture. Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word short). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The related word "shortening" refers to any fat that may be added to produce a short (crumb
- Prep
- 26 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 1 min
- Total
- 1 hr 27 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Equipment
1 sieve
Equipment
1 mixing bowl
Equipment
1 rolling pin
Equipment
1 wooden spoon
Equipment
1 table fork (optional, leave out for Iced Shortbread)
Equipment
1 scone cutter or circular cookie cutter (optional)
Equipment
1 cooling rack
Procedure
Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F or Gas Mark 1).
Procedure
Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
Procedure
Sift the flour and salt into the mixture and work into the fat and sugar until completely amalgamated.
Procedure
Shape the dough into a ball and roll out to about 1.3 cm (½ inch) thick. The dough may need to be chilled for 10–15 minutes for easier handling.
Procedure
Cut into squares or rectangles and prick the tops with a fork in two parallel lines.
Procedure
Bake in the oven for 30–40 minutes or until the shortbread is lightly browned.
Procedure
Leave them on a cooling rack to cool.
Procedure
Store in a cool place in an airtight container.
Notes & variations
Some recipes call for a 1-2-3 ratio of sugar, fat, and flour, but fat is often increased to prevent dryness.[2][3]
Photo: User:Dave souza · CC BY-SA 2.5 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5 · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 16 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Approximate values per serving. Worked out from the ingredient list — treat them as a guide, not a measurement.
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