English Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Classic shortbread is one of the most delicious and easiest recipes to make. Buttery and soft, classic shortbread will melt in your mouth!

Shortbread is one of the first things I remember making as a kid. Three simple ingredients. So easy, yet so delicious! Shortbread at its purest contains nothing but butter, flour, sugar and a pinch of salt.

This recipe comes from our Glaswegian neighbor who used confectioner’s sugar instead of granulated sugar. The resulting shortbread is crisp and buttery, yet melts in your mouth.

Shortbread is equally at home with a cup of tea as it is during holiday baking. (This recipe for shortbread was originally published on January 10th, 2102. As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.)

I know that I’ve written about shortbread before, but that was Lavender shortbread, or Rose Scented Shortbread, flowery and for a special occasion. Want something a little richer? How about Brown Sugar Walnut Shortbread? I’ve also made a savory version, like this Rosemary Cheddar Shortbread!

Maybe it’s the Scottish blood, coursing through my veins, on both sides, that makes my pulse race at the sound of bag pipes. It makes my eyes tear when listening to Auld Lang Syne, making me weak in the knees hearing a Glaswegian man’s accent. So, not surprisingly, shortbread is my favorite of all cookies.

Cookie or Biscuit?

While Americans would consider a piece of shortbread a “cookie”, it’s considered a “biscuit” outside of the US. This can be confusing since Americans consider a “biscuit’ something similar to a British scone. There are cookies in Britain, like these, but they tend to be softer and filled. What ever you call Shortbread, I just call it delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup of unsalted butter room temperature
• 3/4 cup confectioner's sugar. some recipes call for granulated sugar..some call for cornstarch. Confectioner's sugar is both mixed together
• 2 Tablespoons sanding sugar optional, for dusting on cooked shortbread

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