Scotch Shortbread — Christmas Cookie Recipe
Walkers Scottish Shortbread was always in our Christmas stockings from my grandmother Hornsby. She loved shortbread, especially with a cup of tea (bonus points if it was Yorkshire Gold) but I think I’ve mentioned many times by now, she never cooked or baked much of anything herself. So maybe she wouldn’t even like this shortbread since it’s not Walker’s, but I am positive she would appreciate the sentiment.
Originally shortbread called for one part sugar, two parts butter and three parts flour. I prefer a slightly lesser amount of flour and to use powdered sugar in place of granulated sugar. Both of these changes make for a particularly light and crumbly shortbread. If you like a shortbread with a little more “chew”, add an extra 1/2 cup of flour.
You might notice there is no vanilla extract or any other flavorings added. Butter supplies the flavor here. If you prefer baking with margarine, I would suggest making a different recipe. Perhaps these apple toffee oatmeal cookies or these cherry chocolate chip cookies?
Scotch shortbread recipe
Scotch Shortbread
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 21 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup (1/2 pound) soft unsalted butter
- 1 cup (1/4 pound) powdered sugar
- 2 cups (1/2 pound) all purpose flour
- Optional: 4-6 ounces melting chocolate disks, dried coconut, slivered almonds
Instructions
- Set oven to 300ºF
- Cream the butter and sugar together.
- Add flour. Combine to make a soft dough.
- Pat into an 8×8 square dish. Prick with a long-tined fork all over the shortbread.
- Bake 40-45 minutes until set and edges are just barely beginning to brown.
- Cut into 21 rectangles while hot and allow to cool in the pan.
- Once cool, gently remove.
- For the optional decoration: Melt chocolate disks in a double boiler over medium heat, stirring until melted.
- Dip edges in melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut or almonds if desired. Lay on waxed paper covered plate and refrigerate 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
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My Mother who lived in Scotland as a child [Last name Jack.] made shortbread every Christmas. She liked to use rice flour. The shortbread was baked in late November. It was put in a ‘tin’ and left high on the china closet until the holiday. By then it was hard as could be. Just the way we loved it!
Hi Alan!
What a wonderful memory! I bet rice flour would make them very crumbly. Do you know if she used 100% rice or part rice and part wheat flour?
Thanks for sharing your story.
My Mum always used 1 part durum, 1 part semolina, and 1 part rice flours.
Her cookies were wonderful, and now I bake them for her!
Thank you!
Just looking for a Christmas short bread cookie and saw your comment- my maternal grandmother’s surname was Jack- from midlothian area of Scotland (paisley/ Roslyn) and Havk is an uncommon Scottish name- probably related ?