A baker sprinkling salt on top of chocolate-dipped shortbread
Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread Cookies

Recipe by PJ Hamel
222 Reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars

These shortbread cookies are a starting point for all kinds of sweet adventures: dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate, sprinkle with nuts or flaky sea salt, or give the dough a flavor boost with a touch of espresso powder, lemon paste, or almond extract, to taste. Then again, if you're a "make mine vanilla, please" kind of person, leave this shortbread alone; it can stand on its own in delicious simplicity.

Prep
15 mins
Bake
35 to 40 mins
Total
50 mins
Yield
about 16 shortbread strips or wedges
Bars of shortbread dipped in tempered chocolate and sprinkled with salt and pistachios - select to zoom
Bars of shortbread dipped in tempered chocolate and sprinkled with salt and pistachios - select to zoom
A baker sprinkling salt on top of chocolate-dipped shortbread - select to zoom
Shortbread - select to zoom
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Instructions

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  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease one 9" round or 8" square pan and line with parchment.

  2. To make the shortbread cookies: In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, extracts, and salt, then beat in the flour. The mixture may seem a little dry at first; keep beating until a stiff dough forms. If necessary, dribble in up to 1 tablespoon of water to bring the dough together.

  3. Press the dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with your fingers or a mini rolling pin. If you're having trouble pressing the shortbread flat in the pan because it's sticking to your fingers, cover it with a piece of plastic wrap and push on the wrap. 

  4. Remove the wrap if you've used it, then use a fork to prick ("dock") the dough all over; this allows any steam to escape, and prevents the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Prick the dough in a random pattern, or create a pretty design.

  5. Bake the shortbread for 35 to 40 minutes, until it's a light golden brown across the top surface and a deeper golden brown around the edges.

  6. Remove the shortbread from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a clean work surface.

  7. Cut the shortbread while it's slightly warm; if you wait until it's cool, it won't cut easily. Using a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut the shortbread into pieces of your desired size. Transfer the shortbread cookies to a rack to cool.

  8. To garnish the shortbread: In a small bowl in the microwave, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the chocolate slowly. Stir often to quicken the melting; don't let it scorch. If you're using a microwave, use 30-second bursts to soften the chocolate. When it's shiny and soft, remove the chocolate from the microwave and stir until smooth, returning if necessary to reheat very briefly. (Alternatively, you can temper the chocolate for a shinier, snappier finish.)

  9. Dip half of each shortbread into the melted chocolate, and then return to the cooling rack. Sprinkle the chocolate with chopped nuts or flaky sea salt, if desired. Allow the chocolate to set before serving.

  10. Storage information: Store the shortbread cookies, well wrapped, for up to a week; freeze for longer storage. The flavor improves as the shortbread cookies age.

Tips from our Bakers

  • Looking for a gluten-free version of this recipe? Find it here: Gluten-Free Shortbread.

  • When making shortbread, we recommend using a top-quality butter; our Test Kitchen's choice is Cabot. In this recipe, we use salted butter (shortbread is traditionally made with salted butter), then add additional salt to ensure a balanced flavor. If you only have unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1/2 teaspoon.

  • Vary the flavor of your shortbread with the following simple additions.
    For ginger shortbread: Add 1/3 cup finely diced crystallized ginger and 1 teaspoon ginger.
    For chai-spiced shortbread: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.

  • Want to garnish your shortbread with something other than chocolate? Substitute melted caramel and sprinkle with nuts or flaky salt. Or set aside two cookies and spread the remainder with a thick layer of jam or preserves; crumble the reserved cookies and sprinkle the crumbs lightly over the jam-topped cookies.

  • Want to make shortbread drop cookies? Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Flatten each ball of dough to about 3/8" thick; use the bottom of a drinking glass, the tines of a fork, a cookie stamp, or whatever implement you think will make a pretty pattern. Bake the cookies for about 25 minutes in a preheated 300°F oven, until they're set but not really beginning to brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pans or on a rack. Yield: about 4 dozen small (1 3/8") cookies.

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