Shortbread Cookies
Just three main ingredients, endlessly buttery and crumbly. The little black dress of the cookie world.
Ingredients
Total time: 33 minutes
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- 1
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- 2
Beat in the vanilla and salt.
- 3
Add the flour and mix on low just until a soft dough forms.
- 4
Pat the dough into a disk, wrap, and chill 30 minutes.
- 5
Heat the oven to 325°F and line a sheet with parchment.
- 6
Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut into rounds or fingers.
- 7
Prick each cookie with a fork and bake 16–20 minutes, until pale gold at the edges.
- 8
Cool completely on the sheet — shortbread is fragile when warm.
Zoe's Tips
- Don't overmix once the flour is in, or the cookies turn tough.
- Powdered sugar gives shortbread its signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Keep them pale; over-browning ruins the delicate buttery flavor.
Nutrition estimate
Approximate, per serving — a rough guide, not a lab measurement.
A note from Zoe:this recipe is newly developed from classic, trusted baking ratios — it hasn't been through rounds of reader testing yet. Bake with a baker's eye, and if you try it, I'd genuinely love your feedback so I can make it even better.
You might also like
CookiesClassic Chocolate Chip Cookies
The one everyone asks for: crisp golden edges, a soft chewy middle, and pools of melty chocolate in every bite.
CookiesBrown Butter Cookies
Nutty, caramel-toned cookies made with browned butter and a hint of toffee. Deeply cozy and a little grown-up.
CookiesOatmeal Raisin Cookies
Hearty, spiced, and chewy with plump raisins and a warm cinnamon hug. The classic lunchbox cookie done right.