Shortbread relies on really good-quality unsalted butter for its flavour, so don't skimp on this and never use margarine! The high butter (or shortening ) content helps to keep the gluten in the flour short and soft. But, for that delectable, friable texture, it's also important to keep a light hand. Overworking the mixture will make the dough oily; it will also develop the gluten in the flour and make the shortbread tough.
You need to choose your flour carefully. Most recipes call for a 2:1 mix of plain wheat flour and rice flour or cornflour, for a very soft texture, but you can also use semolina for a slightly crunchier result. Sifting in the flour is a valuable step that helps to keep the shortbread light and melting.
And the final crucial thing to remember is that shortbread must be only barely coloured, never browned. So, don't forget it's in the oven...
Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.
Put the softened butter into a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, gradually work in the sugar until it is well mixed and forms a soft paste.
Sift in the flour and rice flour. Using a fork, bring together lightly to form a soft, crumbly dough. It's hands-on (or in) time now: bring the mix to a soft, pliable, crack-free dough by kneading it as lightly as possible.
For biscuits, place the dough between two sheets of lightly floured greaseproof paper.
Using a rolling pin, roll out to a 5mm thickness. Remove the top paper and cut out biscuits using a 6–7cm fluted cutter or a shaped biscuit cutter (heart, star, leaf, etc.).
Place the biscuits on the baking sheets and prick the surface with a fork.
For a shortbread round, lightly press the dough into the loose-based 20cm flan tin or sandwich tin, or shape into a round, about 2cm thick, by hand.
To finish the edge, pinch into little flutes with your thumb and finger. Prick the surface with a fork.
Bake the shortbread in the oven until very lightly coloured; allow about 20 minutes for biscuits, 30–35 minutes for a shortbread round.
Dredge with sugar and place on a wire rack to cool. Shortbread will keep for up to 4 weeks in an airtight tin.
FAQs
For great shortbread, regardless of your chosen recipe:
- Sift the flour before mixing to help remove lumps.
- Avoid over-mixing the dough.
- Score the surface for even baking without bubbles or cracks.
- Chill the shaped dough thoroughly before baking.
- Cut the shortbread while it is still warm, for smooth, even slices.
Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture (from an old meaning of the word "short", as opposed to "long", or stretchy). The cause of this texture is its high fat content, provided by the butter. The short or crumbly texture is a result of the fat inhibiting the formation of long protein (gluten) strands.
How to tell when shortbread is done? ›
Since you will be cooking your shortbread in the lower third of the oven, you will get some top browning as the cookie bakes. The surface of the shortbread should be a toasty light brown when it is cooked. It should never appear raw or slightly opaque in the middle.
What is the mistake in 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.
Is it best to chill shortbread dough before baking? ›
Chill Before Baking
The goal is to ensure the butter in the dough is cold when it goes into the oven. This will prevent the shortbread from spreading.
Why poke holes in shortbread? ›
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 is the new name for shortbread? ›
Shortbread is now Trefoils®! they're ABC cookies? always called them trefoils!
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.
What makes a shortbread a shortbread? ›
Shortbread is called short because of the traditional ratio of one part sugar to two parts butter that lends a high fat content to the dough. This yields a soft, buttery crumb that melts in your mouth, similar to short crust pastry. This ratio is also what makes shortbread so crave-worthy. 2.
Should shortbread be hard when cooked? ›
Is shortbread supposed to be soft when it comes out of the oven? Yes, upon cooling it will firm up. Shortbread should have a soft and tender texture but be slightly crisp when you bite into it.
It's important to avoid over-mixing shortbread dough, which will develop gluten and make the finished product tough, not tender. To make sure that the flour mixes completely with little effort, sift the flour first to get out all of the lumps.
Why is my shortbread raw in the middle? ›
The inside of the cookie is undercooked but the outside is cooked. This is going to be rather scattershot, since underbaked can mean anything from raw to slightly soft, depending on the baker. If they're really gooey and don't set when cooled, you probably just need to bake them a few minutes longer.
How can you tell if shortbread is underbaked? ›
If it's still soft, doughy or malleable/pliable, it's undercooked. If it starts turning brown, it's overcooked and will be hard to eat. If it's brown or dark brown, bin it and start over. The texture should be smooth and firm on the outside and it should crumble when you apply pressure.
What happens if you add too much butter to shortbread? ›
What happens if you put too much butter in cookies? - Quora. They spread way too far out on the cookie sheet and don't get cooked right. They're too wet, and really greasy, but can be cooked to crispiness but won't have the right texture and it will be hard to reproduce the time of baking.
Why is shortbread unhealthy? ›
However, lipids, which are a component to food such as shortbread cookies are considered unhealthy because they are the most energetic nutrients in food and are a source of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (usually 40%) and sometimes also trans fatty isomers (TFA) [4,5,6].
What puts the short in shortbread? ›
1. Shortbread is called short because of the traditional ratio of one part sugar to two parts butter that lends a high fat content to the dough. This yields a soft, buttery crumb that melts in your mouth, similar to short crust pastry.
When making shortbread, should the butter be cold? ›
Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.
How do you keep shortbread from falling apart? ›
Start with a teaspoon of fat and mix your dough well. If the dough is still falling apart, you can keep adding more in small increments. And at the end of the day, you can always add a little bit of water as well if your shortbread still hasn't formed a cohesive dough.
Is shortbread meant to be soft when it comes out of the oven? ›
If the shortbread has been properly mixed and kneaded and has risen after baking at the right temperature at the right time. It should be a nice golden colour but will be soft when removed from the oven so until it has cooled and hardened it cannot be judged.
