Scottish Shortbread
A traditional Scottish Shortbread recipe made with butter, caster sugar, plain flour and a little cornflour for a rich, beautifully crumbly biscuit. This easy family recipe has been made by my Mum for decades and is perfect for Christmas, Hogmanay, gifting or simply enjoying with a cuppa.
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Servings: 12 biscuits
INGREDIENTS
- 75 g Caster Sugar
- 150 g Block Margarine or Butter (at room temperature)
- 200 g Plain Flour
- 25 g Cornflour
EQUIPMENT
- Fork
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for a fan-assisted oven, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Grease a couple of baking trays with a little excess butter/margarine and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, in both colour and texture.
- Sift in your flour and cornflour, mixing until a stiff dough starts to form. Use your hands if needed. Turn the dough onto a floured worktop and gently bring it together into a smooth dough, handling it as little as possible.
- Roll your dough to between 5mm-1cm (¼-½ inch) thick, depending on how thick you want your shortbread biscuits to be. Cut into your desired shape and size. Transfer each biscuit to your prepared baking trays and prick the tops with a fork.
- Bake in your preheated oven for around 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the tops appear dry.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle a little extra sugar over each shortbread biscuit. Leave to cool on the baking sheet until cool enough to touch, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Butter or Margarine: Use butter or a block margarine at room temperature - avoid spreadable margarine from a tub, as its higher water content can cause the Shortbread to spread. Unsalted butter is my preference, but salted butter can also be used if you prefer a slightly saltier Shortbread.
Cornflour: UK cornflour is called cornstarch in the US. This family recipe has been developed and tested using cornflour alongside the plain flour to give the Shortbread its fine, crumbly texture.
Dough Texture: Don't worry if the mixture looks quite dry and crumbly after adding the flour - this is normal for Shortbread, and it will come good. Gently bring it together with your hands and don't add any milk or water. If the dough feels very soft or warm instead, chill it for 20-30 minutes before rolling and cutting.
Baking & Doneness: The exact baking time will vary depending on how thick you roll your Shortbread. It should still be fairly pale when baked, with dry-looking tops and just a hint of golden colour around the edges. It may feel a little soft while hot but will continue to firm up as it cools.
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