If you’re looking for a tasty homemade biscuit recipe that is quick and easy to do, with little ingredients, then this shortbread recipe will hit the spot perfectly.
I can honestly say that these biscuits are just as tasty, (well maybe even more tasty actually) than the buttery Scottish shortbread which you can purchase in shops, and these are a fraction of the price too.
The only problem my family found with these biscuits was that once you’d had one shortbread biscuit, your hand kept reaching out for another because they are so moreish!
So enough of me telling you how gorgeous they are, try them out for yourself and let me know if you found them just as delicious!
Weigh out the butter and sugar first and place them into a medium-size bowl.
Next weigh out the plain flour and keep that to the side for a minute or two.
Using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula, mix together the butter and caster sugar so it turns into a nice creamy consistency. Ensure it is well mixed together.
Sift the plain flour into the bowl over the butter and caster sugar mixture, ensuring no lumps of flour get through.
Again, using either a wooden spoon or spatula, stir the flour into the sugar and butter mixture.
After 3 or 4 minutes it will eventually start to ‘stick together’ and it will form a thick dough, see the picture below to give you an idea when you know you’ve mixed it enough.
Lightly dust your work surface with a little plain flour, then using your hands gather the shortbread mixture together in the bowl to make a ball.
Gently roll the shortbread mixture ‘dough’ out on top of the lightly dusted surface. The shortbread needs to be around 1cm thick.
For our biscuits we used a small cookie cutter, but to be honest if you prefer to make shortbread fingers you can do so too. It’s entirely up to you.
Next you will need to lightly grease a baking tray (I used a little soft butter for mine).
Place all your cut out shortbread biscuits (or fingers) on to the baking tray leaving a little space between each on as you do so.
Using a fork, gently press it down twice into the top of each biscuit. You don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to, but I think the biscuits look more authentic with the holes in.
The shortbread biscuits on the baking tray will now need to chill for around 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
Whilst the biscuits are ‘chilling out’ preheat the oven to 375F / 190C.
Once the biscuits have chilled it’s now time to put them in the oven for 15 minutes (remember though to keep a beady eye on them to make sure they don’t brown too much as many ovens vary depending on their age).
You’ll know when they are cooked as they will be a lovely light golden brown colour like these pictured below.
Leave the biscuits to cool down for a few minutes, then gently lift them off the baking tray to a cooling rack if you have one (if not, place them on a plate instead to cool).
At this stage, you can sprinkle a little caster sugar over the top of each biscuit to give them the extra sweetness if you wish.
Now time for the good part. Sit down and share (or maybe not…) your delicious shortbread biscuits.
To keep them fresher for longer just store them in a tightly sealed container such as a sandwich box.
- 125g/4oz butter
- 55g/2oz caster sugar
- 180g/6oz plain flour
- Weigh out ingredients first.
- In a large bowl smooth the sugar and butter together until nice and smooth.
- Sift in the plain flour, mix until you get a dough, then turn it out onto the work surface and gently roll out until the dough is around 1 cm thick.
- You can either cut the shortbread into fingers or if you have any cookie cutters cut various shapes out.
- Grease a baking tray then place the shortbread onto it, then chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- While the shortbread are chilling, preheat the oven to 375F / 190C.
- Place the baking tray in the oven on the middle shelf for around 15 minutes or until the shortbread biscuits are light golden brown in colour. Cool on a wire rack.
