Go Back
Print Recipe

Shortbread Cookies

From The Little Guides to Cookies. Given to Sasha and Julia by Grandma Mo at Christmas She inscribed the book with a note: “For the Kudler girls To bake and make sweets for me to take! Grandma Mo - “You can hardly go anywhere in Great Britain without running into the grand staple. It is legendary in its traditional form, but we decided to come up with some variations, too, for adventurous shortbread lovers.”
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Keyword: cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 1 cup/4 oz/125 g all-purpose plain flour
  • 1/3 cup/3 oz/90 g granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup/4 oz/125 g cold butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • Sifted confectioners’ sugar

PECAN:

  • Stir ¼ cup/1oz/30 g ground toasted pecans or walnuts into flour mixture

LEMON OR ORANGE:

  • Add 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon or orange peel to the flour mixture; omit the vanilla and add one quarter teaspoon lemon or orange extract

MOCHA:

  • Stir 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules into the flour mixture.

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Cut in butter until mixture resembles a fine crumbs.
  • Sprinkle with vanilla.
  • Form the mixture into a ball I need until smooth.
  • Spray a shortbread mold with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil.
  • Firmly pressed the dough into the mold.
  • Invert the mould over a lightly greased baking sheet and tap the mold lightly to release the dough onto the baking sheet.
  • If necessary use a knife to pry the dough out of the mold.
  • Or, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  • With a fork, prick dough deeply to make eight or 16 wedges.
  • Bake in a preheated 325° oven for about 25 minutes or till center of shortbread is set.
  • While still warm, cut molded shortbreads into wedges.
  • Remove shortbread from baking sheet and cool completely on rack.
  • If desired, sprinkle wedges with confectioners sugar

Notes

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
BAKING TIME: 25 minutes
MAKES: 8 or 16 wedges
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees