Name: Butter Shortbread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 16
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 1 cups & 3/4 or 200 g plain / All Purpose flour; 1 cup or 100 g Caster or fine sugar Plus extra for sprinkling on the top.; 1 Cup or 8 oz or 220 g butter, room temperature; 2/3 Cup or 100 g semolina or Ground Rice, not to be confused with rice flour which is like a fine powder; 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Butter Shortbread simply a delight to eat! The dough is so easy to make and uses simple ingredients. These are a traditional cookie and melt in your mouth!

Butter Shortbread! Yes, there are many recipes you can get hold of, all with the title shortbread, some of them are good, and some not so good.

This recipe I'm sharing with you is my own recipe which I've been using for many years. Of course, it is how "I" think a good shortbread cookie should be... crumbly, crispy, buttery and have a slightly grainy texture which you get from the use of semolina or ground rice, and the balance of which is just right.

Shortbread does have a classic texture, and it is the ground rice or semolina which gives this slightly grainy texture. I think I've got the balance of all the ingredients just perfect, and just how shortbread should be!

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For this recipe, I have made finger cookies and also used a cookie cutter to make some flower shapes. You can choose whatever shapes you like.

So have a go and let me know what you think!

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9) Delicious Cookie Recipes

Prep time

10 minutes

Baking time

35 minutes

Serving size

Ingredients

1 and 3/4 cups or 200 g plain / All Purpose flour
1 cup or 100 g Caster or fine sugar Plus extra for sprinkling on the top.
1 Cup or 8 oz or 220 g butter (room temperature)
2/3 Cup or 100 g semolina or Ground Rice (not to be confused with rice flour which is like a fine powder)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

If you can't find ground rice, we can recommend this semolina

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Instructions

1. Set the oven to 160 C / 310 F /gas 2 and line a cookie sheet with Parchment Paper.

2. Place all the ingredients together in a food processor and mix until the mixture forms a dough (you can also mix by hand with a wooden spoon in a bowl using soft butter).

Shortbread Cookies, ingredients in processor

3. Place the dough mixture on a flour-dusted work surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter and cut out shapes then place on the baking tray. If making finger-shaped cookies, simply place all the dough in an 8 x 8 inch lined with parchment baking pan, then pat down the dough so it is even and flat.

4. Use a fork and prick the surface of the shortbread like in the photo.

5. Sprinkle the surface with caster sugar and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly firm and pale in colour. The shortbread should not go brown.

6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the baking tin, then carefully transfer (use a slicer or palette knife as they might break) to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Top Tips

If making fingers, whilst the cookies are still hot from the oven, use a knife and cut about 1/2 way down into the cookies. This will make it easier for breaking into fingers once cooled.

The shortbread will become crunchy once it has completely cooled. make a nice cup of tea and enjoy!

NOTE: These will keep in an airtight container for a few days before they become soft.

We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!

Recipe Card

Butter Shortbread

Yield: 16

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Butter Shortbread simply a delight to eat! The dough is so easy to make and uses simple ingredients. These are a traditional cookie and melt in your mouth!

Ingredients

1 cups & 3/4 or 200 g plain / All Purpose flour
1 cup or 100 g Caster or fine sugar Plus extra for sprinkling on the top.
1 Cup or 8 oz or 220 g butter, room temperature
2/3 Cup or 100 g semolina or Ground Rice, not to be confused with rice flour which is like a fine powder
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Set the oven to 160 C / 310 F /gas 2 and line a cookie sheet with Parchment Paper.
Place all the ingredients together in a food processor and mix until the mixture forms a dough (you can also mix by hand with a wooden spoon in a bowl using soft butter).
Place the dough mixture on a flour dusted work surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter and cut out shapes then place on the baking tray. If making finger shaped cookies, simply place all the dough in an 8 x 8 inch lined with parchment baking pan, then pat down the dough so it is even and flat.
Use a fork and prick the surface of the shortbread like in the photo.
Sprinkle the surface with caster sugar and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until slightly firm and pale in colour. The shortbread should not go brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the baking tin, then carefully transfer (use a slicer or palette knife as they might break) to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. If making fingers, whilst the cookies are still hot from the oven, use a knife and cut about 1/2 way down in to the cookies. This will make it easier for breaking in to fingers once cooled!The shortbread will become crunchy once it has completely cooled. make a nice cup of tea and enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 16 Servings
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 229Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 89mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

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Share your thoughts

16 thoughts shared

MARY E HAMEL
says:
January 18th, 2019 at 3:57 am

I thought that cream of rice cereal might be appropriate for this recipe since it says it’s granulated rice. I used it and the cookies are amazing – buttery and not too sweet. I couldn’t wait to try them – yes, they are edible with a weird crunch. LOL! I will use the semolina next time, as you stated.

1. Lovefoodies
  says:
  January 18th, 2019 at 7:29 am
  
  Hi Mary, thanks for writing in and letting us know about the rice cereal. It’s always helpful to know when others use different ingredients!
  Glad you’ll be making the recipe again, they are delicious aren’t they!
  
Patricia Conte
says:
December 16th, 2014 at 5:08 am

Boy do these look good!

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  December 16th, 2014 at 10:05 am
  
  Thank you Patricia!
  
Jenny.U
says:
December 15th, 2014 at 6:50 pm

I think colored sugar might be fun for the holidays!!

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  December 15th, 2014 at 8:22 pm
  
  Great idea Jenny!
  
Hun.. What's for Dinner?
says:
December 15th, 2014 at 4:26 pm

I love shortbread and yours looks delicious!

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  December 15th, 2014 at 4:57 pm
  
  Thanks very much!
  
Healing Tomato
says:
December 15th, 2014 at 4:25 pm

What a delightful recipe. Love the idea of making my very own Butter Shortbread

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  December 15th, 2014 at 4:58 pm
  
  Thank you!
  
MamalDiane
says:
December 15th, 2014 at 3:22 pm

These look amazing Mary, not surprised your recipes always do. :)

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  December 15th, 2014 at 3:30 pm
  
  Thanks very much for your kind comments Diane!
  
Linda Merck
says:
November 13th, 2013 at 11:13 am

ground rice? grind after cooking or before? or is it a product you buy?

1. lovefoodies
  says:
  November 13th, 2013 at 11:19 am
  
  Hi Linda, if you live in the US, please use semolina. Ground rice is similar in texture to semolina and is used a lot in baking in the UK & Europe. It isn’t rice as you have described it, but has been made for baking purposes. I did do a search on Amazon.com for it, but it really is not common at all in America, so using semolina will give you the same results. I hope this helps.
  
  1. Linda Merck
    says:
    November 13th, 2013 at 7:28 pm
    
    Thanks for the fast reply…am in Canada but will look for it :)
  2. lovefoodies
    says:
    November 13th, 2013 at 8:08 pm
    
    Okey dokey! I know you can get semolina in Canada :)