Shortbread Cookies, a rich buttery delicious, melt in mouth cookies !!! It's a traditional Scottish cookies made from butter, flour & sugar and it's named so because of its crumbly texture not stretchy or chewy. Unlike many cookie recipe, shortbread cookies doesn't have any leavening agent like baking soda or powder. Still they are so light, crumbly and utterly delicious cookies !!! Instead of butter, shortenings are also used in the recipe, but i would highly recommend to use butter for great flavor.
When i heard the name short bread cookies for the first time, i was wondered what is it ??So,.
What is short bread cookies and how is it different from butter cookies??
Actually there is no difference between those two in terms of ingredients. The main difference is, in short bread cookies, the sugar is comparatively less compared to the butter cookies. It makes them crumbly and melt in mouth texture.
Next is baking temperature, short bread cookies are baked at lower temperature to retain its pale color. Where as butter cookies are baked at little higher temperature and also the extra sugar sugar in butter cookies give those dark colors because of caramelization.
Procedure
Notes:
What is short bread cookies and how is it different from butter cookies??
Actually there is no difference between those two in terms of ingredients. The main difference is, in short bread cookies, the sugar is comparatively less compared to the butter cookies. It makes them crumbly and melt in mouth texture.
Next is baking temperature, short bread cookies are baked at lower temperature to retain its pale color. Where as butter cookies are baked at little higher temperature and also the extra sugar sugar in butter cookies give those dark colors because of caramelization.
Couple of year ago, bought a pack of french cookies from costco, we both liked it a lot. It's rich buttery cookies with moderate sweet and a hint of salt and we used to buy them whenever we were there, after a while, guess costco stopped to carry them. As these cookies has a hint of salt in it, ST always say that these cookies are so similar to it every time he had a bite. Adding salt in this cookies is optional but highly recommend because it gives a nice kick!!
But for me, it reminds me of the butter biscuits that are available in bakery shop around Tamilnadu, India. Those bakery biscuits are quite different from the regular biscuits, they are super crumbly and melt in mouth texture. I'm not sure how they are made but these short bread cookies tastes so similar to them. Guess, it's similar recipe but different name in different place !!! As we both like these cookies a lot, i have been baking these cookies a lot during this lockdown. Now let's check out on how to make this delicious cookies.
Butter Cookies | Butter Biscuits
Preparation Time : 1 hr | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Serves : 12
Recipe Category: Cookies | Recipe Cuisine: Scotland
Recipe Category: Cookies | Recipe Cuisine: Scotland
Ingredients
Butter - 5 tbsp
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 3/4 cup
Icing Sugar - 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp
Salt -1/4 tsp
* see notes section at the end for all FAQ
Butter - 5 tbsp
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 3/4 cup
Icing Sugar - 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp
Salt -1/4 tsp
* see notes section at the end for all FAQ
Take the room temperature butter in a bowl and whisk it for 2 mins and then add sugar & vanilla extract.
Again whisk it well until all combined together. Next add the flour and salt. 
Mix it with your hands well until it all comes together as single mass(if the dough is dry and doesn't come together at this stage, add a couple of tsp of milk). Transfer the cookie dough into cling wrap and shape it as rectangular block. 
Cover it well and refrigerate for 1 hr. Preheat the oven @ 350 F & Line the baking tray with parchment paper and keep it ready. Take the cookie dough from the refrigerator.
With sharp knife cut into 1/4 inch pieces. Place them on the baking tray.
With wooden stick poke some holes on each cookie. Place it on the preheated oven and bake it for 10-12 mins. Turn the cookie tray one time in between.
Remove from the oven and let it cool a bit and then transfer into wire rack to cool completely.
Once it's completely cooled. Store it in airtight container.
For more baking recipe, check out hereOnce it's completely cooled. Store it in airtight container.
- Instead of making rectangular shape, you can cut into any shape using cookie cutter.
- Make sure to use the butter at room temperature.
- Icing sugar helps to give the smooth texture.
- Cookies firm up when it's completely cooled down.
- It stays well for a week at room temperature.
- Keep the dough at refrigerator helps to cut them nicely.
- To make icing sugar at home, for 1 cup of sugar add 1 tbsp of corn starch and grind into super fine powder and use the required quantity in the recipe.
- Here i have used unbleached all purpose flour.
Awesomeness. Can we replace the flour with atta?
ReplyDeleteThank you. You can use but the taste and texture might differ
DeleteThis dough was crumbly even after it chilled. I followed the recipe as written. Perhaps it needs more butter...not sure
ReplyDeleteSorry, it doesn't work as expected for you. Measure the ingredients precisely will help to get the texture perfectly. Keep the dough in refrigerator as long as it needs to be firm. No need to keep it for longer hours. I have been baking these cookies for a while now and it works well for very SINGLE time.
DeleteKeep in mind that baked recipes done at higher or lower elevations react differently. You may not be doing anything wrong. Just look up a conversion formula for your altitude on Google.
DeleteThanks for the insight. Will take the altitude factor also into consideration in the future.
DeleteThis makes maybe 4 not 12
ReplyDeleteMay be you cut into large sizes. mine are bite sized
DeleteI used a little circle cutter. AMAZINGLY moirish
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback !
DeleteHi can I had chocolate powder to this recipe?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can add. Make sure to add a couple of tsp of milk, it will help the cookie dough comes together !
Deleteor
You can bake as it is in the recipe and dip it in melted chocolate later.
Hey I just tried this, the texture of the dough was so sloppy, like icing! To try and fix this I added more flour but it's still super sloppy. Any idea where I went wrong? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have tried this recipe many times and never find the dough so sloppy. Make sure to use only 5 tbsp of room temperature butter not the melted butter. Melted butter makes the dough sloppy.
DeleteI just made this recipe.
ReplyDeleteThey are soooo good !!
Had to add a bit more flour maybe because I used plant base butter and spelt flour but they turn out just perfect.
Tomorrow I'll do a bigger batch so to keep at home cause this ones are gonne.
Thank you
Thank you for your feedback. So glad that you liked the cookies. Hope your bigger batch also turns out good !
DeleteIs it compulsory to refrigerate the dough??
ReplyDeleteYes, it firms the butter a bit and that helps to cut the cookies easily !
DeleteIs it compulsory to refrigerate the dough??
ReplyDeleteshortbread has been around for hundreds of years, many many Chef recipes on the internet for shortbread. That you do not allow yours to be copied is ridiculous because I sure am not going to hand write it out.
ReplyDeletePrint option is available on the post. You can choose that option instead of trying to copy the text ! Hope that helps.
Delete