Indulge in the delightful world of sugared shortbread, a classic Scottish treat that combines crumbly shortbread with a sweet, sparkling sugar topping. This timeless recipe has captivated taste buds for generations and remains a cherished favorite. Our collection of recipes takes you on a culinary journey, showcasing variations that cater to different dietary preferences and add unique twists to the traditional shortbread. From gluten-free options to vegan delights and even a chocolate-infused version, there's a recipe here to satisfy every palate. Embrace the joy of baking with our detailed instructions and helpful tips, ensuring perfect results every time. Get ready to create melt-in-your-mouth shortbread that will transport you to the heart of Scotland with every bite.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
SHORTBREAD, 10 WAYS
Shortbread is not only one of the easiest desserts you can possibly make, it's also one of the most adaptable. As long as you keep the butter-to-flour ratio constant (1 stick butter to 1 cup flour), everything else is negotiable. You can reduce or increase the sugar and salt, or mix in any type of flavoring from citrus zest to vanilla to herbs and spices. You can even alter the type of flour, swapping in some rice flour for all-purpose flour for increased crunch, or cornmeal for a nubby texture. Just be cautious about adding liquid to the dough; any more than one tablespoon could interfere with the texture. Here we give a master recipe and nine variations to play around with.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories cookies and bars, dessert
Time 1h
Yield 24 servings
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Pulse together flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse to fine crumbs. Pulse a few more times until some of the crumbs start to come together, but don't overprocess; the dough should be somewhat crumbly. (You can also mix the dough in a bowl using two knives or a pastry cutter.)
- Press dough into an even layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan, or a 9-inch pie pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes for the 9-inch square or pie pan, 45 to 50 minutes for the 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 130, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 14 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 61 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams
SHORTBREAD COOKIES
Bake Ina Garten's chocolate-dipped Shortbread Cookies for the perfect bite with tea, from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.
Provided by Ina Garten
Categories dessert
Time 1h15m
Yield 20 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3 by 1-inch finger-shaped cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- When the cookies are cool, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Put 3 ounces of the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave on high power for 30 seconds. (Don't trust your microwave timer; time it with your watch.) Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to heat and stir in 30-second increments until the chocolate is just melted. Add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth. Stir vigorously until the chocolate is smooth and slightly cooled; stirring makes it glossier.
- Drizzle 1/2 of each cookie with just enough chocolate to coat it.
SHORTBREAD
This is a compilation of several Shortbread recipes I have from British cookbooks. I have been to England three times and REAL shortbread is a favorite. It should use real butter and not be TOO sweet.
Provided by Norita Solt
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European UK and Ireland English
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
- Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
- Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
- Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
- Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.8 calories, Carbohydrate 31.3 g, Cholesterol 40.7 mg, Fat 15.7 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 2.8 g, SaturatedFat 9.8 g, Sodium 2.5 mg, Sugar 8.4 g
SHORTBREAD
I live in Missouri, but many family recipes come from New Zealand where I was born. My parents moved there when I was a year old, so I have a "Down Under" heritage. This easy shortbread recipe brings back warm memories of my childhood, and I'm going to make sure they're passed on to the next generation in my family...no matter where they live! -Allen Swenson, Camdenton, Missouri
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 25m
Yield 5 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Combine flour, cornstarch and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Roll dough into a 15x2x1-in. rectangle; chill. , Preheat oven to 325°. Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 57 calories, Fat 3g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 8mg cholesterol, Sodium 44mg sodium, Carbohydrate 7g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 0 protein.
BROWN SUGAR SHORTBREAD
These rich buttery cookies have just three ingredients! They're a snap to make for a last-minute gift or when guests will be arriving on short notice. For best results, gradually stir the flour into the dough. -Shirley Gardiner Clearwater, Manitoba
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield 3-1/2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Pat into a 1/3-in.-thick rectangle measuring 11 in. x 8 in. , Cut into 2-in. x 1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork. , Bake at 300° for 25 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 145 calories, Fat 9g fat (5g saturated fat), Cholesterol 23mg cholesterol, Sodium 90mg sodium, Carbohydrate 15g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
SUGARED SHORTBREAD
In 2012, The Times invited readers to submit their favorite cookie recipes. Amy Casey of Sparta, N.J., submitted this unusual recipe for shortbread that calls for melted butter and a little bit of rice flour (which is now relatively easy to find since it's a popular gluten-free flour). You can mix this recipe in a bowl with a wooden spoon in about three minutes, and the rice flour gives the shortbread a sandy, singular texture that's accentuated by the coating of granulated sugar on the top and bottom. You can substitute cornstarch for the rice flour, but you'll end up with a slightly softer crumb. Bonus: this keeps for weeks - but only if you hide it.
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories cookies and bars, dessert
Time 1h
Yield About 18 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar and salt. Stir in the butter. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with sugar while warm and slice; cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 160, UnsaturatedFat 3 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 66 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
SUGARED FLOWER SHORTBREADS
These delicate shortbreads make a perfect gift. Given a floral hint with rosewater, you could also use orange blossom extract or dried lavender
Provided by Cassie Best
Categories Afternoon tea, Dessert, Treat
Time 1h12m
Yield Makes 15-20
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Remove the stalks and any leaves from small flowers like violas or pansies, and carefully pull apart the roses to separate the petals. Place a sheet of baking parchment on your work surface. Sprinkle the caster sugar over a saucer, then lightly whisk the egg white in a small bowl. Holding a flower or petal with tweezers, use a small paintbrush to paint both sides with egg white. Spoon the sugar over, then shake off the excess and place on the parchment. Repeat with the remaining petals or flowers. Leave to dry for 3 hrs, or overnight if you can. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month, but their colour may start to fade after a few weeks.
- Tip the flour into a large bowl and add the butter. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until you have a damp, crumby texture. Pour in the sugar and gently mix in with your fingertips. Whisk the vanilla, rosewater and egg yolks together in a small bowl with a fork, then drizzle the mixture over the buttery flour. Mix again, squashing the crumbs together to form a dough. If the mixture is a little crumbly, drizzle over 1-2 tsp cold water, then mix again. Tip onto your work surface and knead very briefly until the dough looks even, with no streaks of egg. Wrap in cling film, pat into a round disc and chill for 30 mins.
- Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Remove the dough from the fridge - if it's very firm, leave it at room temperature for 15 mins to soften. Lightly dust the work surface with flour, unwrap the dough and roll it to the thickness of a £1 coin. Stamp out 8cm disks with the fluted side of a biscuit cutter and transfer them to the baking trays. Bake for 10-12 mins, swapping the trays over halfway through cooking. Once lightly golden and firm, remove the biscuits from the oven. Leave to cool on the trays for 10 mins or until stable enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Mix the icing sugar with enough water to make a thick icing. Divide the icing between as many bowls as the number of colours you'd like to use, and dye each one a pastel shade with a drop of food colouring. Transfer half of one of the icings to a disposable piping bag fitted with a fine writing nozzle. Pipe a ring around the outside of the biscuit and set aside to dry. Continue until you've iced a third of the biscuits (if you're using three colours), then move on to the next colour, transferring any leftover icing back to its original bowl. Leave the biscuits to dry for 10-15 mins.
- Add 2-3 tsp water to each icing to make it a little runnier. Spoon the icing onto the biscuits, matching the colour to the rings. Encourage the icing to flood the surface by easing it to the edges with your spoon - don't be too generous with the icing as it may overspill when you add the flowers and petals. You can now dust the surface of each biscuit with a little shimmer dust, if you like, then top with the flowers. Leave the biscuits to set for at least 1 hr before wrapping in tissue paper in a pretty box. Will keep for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 193 calories, Fat 6 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 22 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 2 grams protein, Sodium 0.1 milligram of sodium
MELT - IN - YOUR - MOUTH SHORTBREAD
This quick and easy shortbread will literally melt when you take a bite. Great for Christmas parties with a little bit of decorating.
Provided by Jennifer Wilton
Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes
Time 25m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch that the edges don't brown too much. Cool on wire racks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 111.1 calories, Carbohydrate 9.7 g, Cholesterol 20.3 mg, Fat 7.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.9 g, SaturatedFat 4.9 g, Sodium 54.8 mg, Sugar 2.5 g
Tips:
- Choose the right ingredients. Use high-quality butter and flour for the best results. A good rule of thumb is to use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the cookies. You can also use a blend of all-purpose flour and cake flour for a more tender shortbread cookie.
- Chill the dough before baking. This will help the cookies hold their shape and prevent them from spreading too much in the oven. If you don't have time to chill the dough, you can pop it in the freezer for 30 minutes before baking.
- Don't overmix the dough. Overmixing will make the cookies tough. Mix the dough just until it comes together, then stop.
- Bake the cookies at a low temperature. This will help them bake evenly without burning. The ideal temperature for baking shortbread cookies is 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the cookies cool completely before glazing them. This will help the glaze set properly.
Conclusion:
Sugared shortbread cookies are a classic Scottish treat that is perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized with different flavors and toppings. With a little practice, you can make perfect sugared shortbread cookies that will impress your friends and family. Give this recipe a try and enjoy the deliciousness of these classic cookies.
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