This Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread recipe begins with butter, sugar, flour and a touch of salt. You can customize these lovely shortbread by adding your favorite nuts, dried fruits or toasted coconut for a delicious twist.
In this post, a small batch made with roasted hazelnuts and another made with toasted coconut are featured. Although the first four ingredients are constant, you can easily personalize this recipe by adding your favorite fifth ingredient.
This recipe produces 10 shortbread cookies – perfect for anyone cooking for one or two. However, it can easily be doubled as well. Pour yourself a cup of tea and enjoy one of these delightfully, dunk-able cookies.
Jump to RecipeThe best butter for making these Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread cookies
If you’ve been following along on the blog for some time, it won’t surprise you that for these classic shortbread cookies, I prefer European-style butter over American-style butter. European butter has less water and a higher fat content than its American counterpart. Although these cookies are crisp and firm, the end result is a more tender, flakier cookie.
I can be pretty intentional about which butter I use in a bake. Cultured European butters can differ in taste, with some lending a bold, tangy flavor to bakes. This may be fine for a savory scone, but not so much for a sweeter baked good. For this reason, I prefer using Unsalted Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter in this Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread recipe. It has a relatively mild flavor that doesn’t carry with it any grassy notes. And the added richness delivers a better texture and more tender shortbread.
Tips for baking these delicate cookies if you double the recipe
This Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread recipe yields only 10 cookies. Now that my husband and I are empty-nesters, I’m learning to cook for two again and this is something I often hear from my readers as well. Although there are times when a recipe with a bigger yield is in order, generally, I get the impression y’all are not big leftover eaters – or as in the case of baked goods, you don’t want three dozen of these cookies hanging around house, tempting you in the middle of the night. This is something I can completely understand and relate to on a very personal level.
If you do choose to double the recipe, you will still want to divide the dough before baking. Dividing the dough into two equal halves and baking them separately may seem like an unnecessary step, but there’s a method to the madness.
This is a high-fat dough. If you try to bake it as one large rectangle, the outer edges will brown before the center has fully baked. If you were to try to bake the shortbread until the center had finished, you’d have a perfect center but burnt edges. For this reason, dividing the dough in half and baking in two separate batches is the best way to ensure even baking.
Another reason for dividing the dough is that the finished product cuts easier when it is still warm. A smaller rectangle ensures you will be able to get a clean cut when separating the shortbread into rectangles. If you were to bake one large sheet, it would start to cool too quickly and your edges would start to break and crumble under the pressure of the knife. To ensure clean cut lines, it is better to work with two smaller rectangles.
Separating the dough into two batches also makes it easier to bake and share. Whenever I double this recipe, I will often only bake one half of the dough. The other half I will wrap and freeze for a later date or to simply have on hand when company pops in and I need a quick dessert.
Other cookie recipes you may wish to try
If you like the simplicity of this classic shortbread recipe, you may also enjoy the playful blend of herbs and citrus in another shortbread recipe on the blog – Easy 7-Ingredient Orange Lavender Shortbread cookies.
If lemon is your jam, my recipe for Irresistible Lemon Glazed Cornmeal Cookies is one you simply must try. In the fall, Apple Sage Oatmeal Cookies are a delightful twist on a classic cookie. For a bright and festive change of pace around the holidays, try my recipe for Super Simple Lemon Cranberry Slice Cookies. But you may want to make a double batch. I had trouble keeping them in stock last season.
But for today, give this Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread recipe a try. I promise you it won’t disappoint!
Simple 5-Ingredient Classic Shortbread
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes50
minutesCustomize these lovely shortbread by adding your favorite nuts, dried fruits or toasted coconut for a delicious twist.
Ingredients
1/2 cup European style butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup AP Flour
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts or coconut flakes
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and salt together until light and fluffy. Approximately 5 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the flour and mix together until a soft, smooth dough is formed. Approximately 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup of hazelnuts or toasted coconut flakes. Blend until just incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Using your hands, gently shape the dough into a 10-inch by 3-inch rectangle. The dough will be approximately 1/2 inch thick. Place the rectangle on the parchment lined pan.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 10 even rectangles that measure 1 inch by 3 inches. You do not need to separate the rectangles at this time. Scoring the cookies at this stage will make cutting them easier once they are removed from the oven.
- Prick the surface of the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming during the baking process.
- Bake at 300 degrees F. until lightly golden brown – approximately 50 minutes.
- When done, remove the shortbread from the oven. While the dough is still warm, follow the lines and cut the shortbread all the way through with a sharp knife. Allow to cool completely before serving.
