We probably don’t need to tell you how wonderful shortbread cookies are. They’re rich, buttery cookies that are simple to make and sturdy enough to be kept for days (if not weeks when chilled). There’s minimal ingredients required and no mixer! Just a bowl and spoon are needed, here. We use melted butter for our shortbread cookies and go for a long bake time at a low temperature. By baking low and slow, the cookies become addictively delicious. These cookies make ingredients that we already adore, like butter and sugar, absolutely shine.
How to Make the Best Shortbread Cookies – Easy as 1 2 3
With very little hands-on time, these cookies are simple to make. Here’s how we make them:
1. Combine sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract and salt with warm melted butter.
We think of these as classic shortbread cookies. Our muse was the traditional Scottish shortbread cookies sold in the store. We didn’t really want to stray too far, but we do add one twist — a hint of orange zest. There isn’t enough added to make the cookies taste like orange, but just enough to add a little bit os sweetness.
2. Add flour and stir until a shiny, buttery dough forms.
You only need a few minutes to make the cookie dough. Just a few strokes with a spoon and it’s done. Once the dough is ready, we press it into a foil-lined pan. Just before baking, we let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes. This gives the flour a chance to absorb moisture and flavor from the butter.
3. Bake using the twice-baked method.
Getting as close to our favorite store-bought shortbread was important and the twice-baked method really helps with that. The cookies are baked in a pan until firm and light golden around the edges. Then we carefully cut them into squares (triangles or fingers are also nice) and then bake them another 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. It’s a little time consuming, but we really think it’s worth it in the end. Plus, we were okay with it since the hands-on time was low. Oh, and practically no dishes. We’ve been looking to add a recipe for shortbread cookies to Inspired Taste for quite some time now and we’re so glad this is the one we’ve chosen. We did a lot of research to come up with this one. The breakthrough was when we stumbled across Alice Medrich’s recipe — she’s a genius when it comes to desserts. It was her who came up with the twice-baked method.
Lemon Bars with Buttery Crust – these have a similar shortbread crust. Cinnamon Chocolate Cookies Recipe – think chocolate snickerdoodles! Fruit and Nut Chocolate Cookies – one of my favorites! Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – the best!
5 tablespoons (65 grams) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling once baked 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all purpose flour 2Mix sugar, vanilla, orange zest and the salt together. When mixing, be sure to press the zest into the sugar which releases fragrant oils. Stir in the warm melted butter until the sugar is practically dissolved into the butter. Add the flour and gently mix until a dough forms and no streaks of flour remain. It will look very shiny from all the butter. 3Use the tips of your fingers to press the dough into the prepared pan. Set aside at room temperature at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Or, refrigerate overnight. (This gives the flour a chance to absorb moisture and flavor from the butter). 2Bake cookies until set and the edges are a light golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the cookies, but keep the oven on. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar over the top of the shortbread and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. 3Use the aluminum foil overhang to carefully remove the shortbread from the pan. Using a heavy, sharp knife, cut the shortbread into your desired shape — we like either 16 squares or 32 triangles. As you cut, the shortbread may be a little crumbly — don’t worry, just be as careful as you can when cutting. A few corners lost isn’t a big deal. 4Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool cookies on a cooling rack then store in an airtight container for up to a week at room temperature (or freeze for 2 to 3 weeks).
