Buggysshortbread Recipes

SHORTBREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the butter and 140g sugar in a food processor and whizz until smooth.
• Tip in both the flours and a pinch of salt, then whizz until mixture comes together.
• Using your hands, roughly spread the mixture out in a 20 x 30 x 4cm baking tray. Cover with cling film and smooth over until there are no wrinkles. Place in the fridge, uncooked, for at least 30 mins and up to 2 days.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Remove cling film, then lightly mark the shortbread all over with a fork.
• Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, then bake for 20-25 mins.
• Leave to cool in the tin, then cut into 24 thin slices. Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

SHORTBREAD BISCUITS

Steps:

• Heat the oven 170C/150C fan/gas 3. Put the flour, butter and sugar into a mixing bowl. Use your hands to combine the ingredients until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs, then squeeze until it comes together as a dough.
• On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to ½ cm thick. Cut the dough into fingers and place on a lined baking tray. Use a fork to create imprints, then sprinkle with the remaining caster sugar.
• Chill the dough in the fridge for 20 mins, then bake for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Remove the shortbread fingers from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for 10 mins.

SUPER-EASY SHORTBREAD (3 INGREDIENTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add flour and mix till texture is like clay.
• Press dough into ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan, prick all over with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar (tilt pan to cover the top evenly, then shake excess sugar back into the sugar canister).
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes (till very lightly browned--just golden around the edges).
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 24 squares while warm.
• Leave in pan to cool thoroughly. (Shortbread will not be crisp until cool.).
• Less easy method: Chill dough. Roll into 1-inch balls, then press balls to about 1/4-inch thickness on ungreased cookie sheets with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (sometimes you can find a glass with a pretty design on the bottom, like a star). Bake at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Least easy method: Chill dough. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkle with sugar, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Variation: Add 2 tablespoons dried lavender to the creamed butter and sugar before adding flour. It may sound strange, but the flavor is subtle and elegant. Food-grade lavender is usually available in herb bins at health food stores, and I recently found it at a great price from Atlantic Spice online (their Lavender #1).
• Variation: After cutting shortbread into squares (it will still be warm), scatter 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top, let the chocolate soften completely, then spread as a thin layer and let cool completely before removing from pan. (No need to sprinkle shortbread with sugar before baking if you plan to do this.).
• Variation: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips into the dough before pressing into pan. You can also try melting the butterscotch over the top, as above. In England, you'll find "caramel shortbread," which has a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate on top of the shortbread. It's wonderful (of course!). I've tried various ways of doing this and various kinds of caramel, but it's been a while and I don't remember what works best. It can be tricky not to make a mess!

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Remove from the oven and immediately cut into squares or rectangles. Cool completely before removing from pan. If using, dust with powdered sugar.
• Enjoy!

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan forced / convection).
• Butter and line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13" pan with baking paper with overhang.
• Beat butter until smooth (or use very soft butter and a wooden spoon). Add icing sugar and beat until combined.
• Add half the flour and beat until mostly combined - it will resemble wet sand. Then beat in the remainder. Use your hands to bring it together into a smooth ball of dough - knead lightly if required.
• Roughly press down into a rectangle shape, then transfer into the pan. Press into the pan. Optional: Roll over the top using a small rolling pin or glass (that's what I used) for a smooth surface. Don't press down too hard - it makes the cookies firmer
• Bake for 20 minutes until edges are very light golden and most of the surface is still pale gold.
• Remove from the oven. Working quickly, cut into desired shape (I do 8 x 3 bars, like Walker's shortbread biscuits) and prick all over with a fork (optional).
• Return to the oven for 8 minutes or until the surface is light golden - not browned. Turn the oven off, crack it open ajar, then leave to cool for at least 1 hour in the oven.
• Remove from the oven, use paper overhang to remove the biscuits from the pan. Cool fully on rack. Serve with tea!!

MELT - IN - YOUR - MOUTH SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Drop cookies by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Watch that the edges don't brown too much. Cool on wire racks.

3-INGREDIENT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C.)
• Combine butter or margarine, flour and confectioner's sugar and beat for 10 minutes.
• Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Decorate with maraschino cherry pieces.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.

SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (parchment) paper. Sift the flour and rice flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix.
• Cut butter into pieces and rub into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture begins to bind together. Knead into soft dough.
• Roll the dough into an 8 inch round (or for exact round, mold it in an 8 inch cake pan). Place on baking sheet. Using a fork, prick top and make tine marks along edge. Using a table knife, score top with wedge marks. (This is where it will break when cooled)
• Bake 45 minutes or until pale golden in color. Sprinkle a little superfine sugar over top and cool on baking sheet. Cut into wedges. Keeps for weeks in airtight tin.

THE BEST SHORTBREAD RECIPE!

Steps:

• Preheat oven, 150 degrees C.
• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the plain flour and semolina or cornflour/polenta.
• Mix lightly.
• Press into a buttered 22cm square tin or a 20cm diameter round tin and prick with a fork.
• Bake for 50 minutes.
• Sprinkle with sugar.
• But into squares/slices whilst still hot and allow to cool.

SHORTBREAD BASE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a food processor process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

GRANNY'S SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cream together the butter, sugar, salt, nutmeg and egg yolk. Add the flour a little at a time until mixture is stiff.
• Place onto floured board and knead lightly until the dough begins to crack. Roll out 1/4 inch thickness and cut into desired shapes.
• Place on un-greased cookie sheet, decorate with colored sugar crystals and maraschino cherries.
• Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD 101

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside. Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once; mix until just combined.
• Butter a 10-inch round springform or cake pan. Using plastic wrap, press dough evenly into pan. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Cut dough into 8 wedges with a paring knife. Using a wooden skewer, prick all over at 1/4-inch intervals.
• Bake until golden brown and firm in center, about 1 hour. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Recut shortbread into wedges; let cool completely in pan. Can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

SCOTTISH WHIPPED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Line cookie sheat with parchment paper if possible.
• Cream butter.
• Sift together icing sugar, cornstarch, and flour.
• Add dry ingredients and vanilla to the butter and beat until consistency of whipped butter.
• Drop by teaspoon onto parcment lined baking sheet. Or can use a cookie gun with star tip or sprtiz tip to form cookies.
• May decorate with small pieces of green or red cherries or colour sprinkles.
• Bake at 350°F (180°C) or 15-20 minutes.
• Stores well in covered tin.