Buttery Shortbread Cookies (Printable)

Melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread with a crumbly texture, perfect for teatime or anytime enjoyment.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Base Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - ¼ cup cornstarch
05 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Sift the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt into the creamed mixture. Stir gently until a soft dough forms, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Press the dough evenly into an 8x8-inch baking pan or shape into a ½-inch thick rectangle on the prepared baking sheet.
05 - Use a sharp knife to score the dough into wedges or fingers, then prick each section lightly with a fork.
06 - Bake in the preheated oven for 22 to 25 minutes, until the edges are pale golden but the cookies are not browned.
07 - Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully cut along the scored lines. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before serving.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • They're buttery without being heavy, perfect with tea or coffee at any hour.
  • The recipe is genuinely foolproof once you understand that less mixing means better texture.
  • You can have homemade shortbread ready in under an hour, and it tastes nothing like store-bought.
02 -
  • The most common mistake is mixing the dough too much, which develops gluten and makes the cookies tough instead of crumbly—trust that the dough looks rough and shaggy at first.
  • Don't let the cookies brown; they continue cooking as they cool, and that pale golden edge is your signal to pull them out.
03 -
  • Use a bench scraper to cut the warm shortbread cleanly along the scored lines—it's easier than a knife and gives you straighter edges.
  • If you want to gift shortbread, layer it between parchment in a tin lined with wax paper; it stays fresher and looks thoughtful.
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