Name: Shortbread
Ingredients: 1 cup 230 grams butter, softened to room temperature; ¾ cup 80 grams powdered sugar; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (substitute lemon zest or other flavoring); 2 ¼ cups 250 grams all-purpose flour

Shortbread — One of the things that I really love about shortbread is the fact that it’s not too sweet.

Easy Step-By-Step Instructions for Shortbread

Shortbread dough — Beat together 1 cup (230 grams) butter, softened to room temperature, ¾ cup (80 grams) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (substitute lemon zest or other flavoring) until fluffy.

Shortbread dough in pan — Press into prepared baking pan, and flatten top. I laid another piece of parchment over it, and stroked across the parchment with my palm to make the surface as smooth as I could.

Cutting Shortbread dough in pan — … remove from oven and mark the shapes. Use a bench knife, or something similar, and press straight up and down all the way through the dough instead of trying to drag it across the fragile surface.

Cutting Shortbread — Then run a sharp knife through the cuts just to make sure they are smooth and clean.

Marking Shortbread Cookies — Next, use a wooden skewer to poke three holes in the top of each cookie. Then return to oven, and bake another 35 to 45 minutes, until …

Pan of Shortbread — … they turn golden. Watch closely at the end as not to over-bake!

Free Printable Recipe for Shortbread

Print Recipe

Shortbread

Ingredients

1 cup 230 grams butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup 80 grams powdered sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract substitute lemon zest or other flavoring
2 ¼ cups 250 grams all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F, and line 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment.
Beat together butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour and mix just until incorporated.
Press into prepared baking pan, and flatten top. I laid another piece of parchment over it, and stroked across the parchment with my palm to get as smooth a surface as I could.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and mark the shapes. (I used a bench knife and pressed straight up and down all the way through the dough instead of trying to drag it across the fragile surface. Then I used a wooden skewer to poke three holes in the top of each cookie.)
Return to oven, and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, until they turn golden. Watch closely at the end as not to overbake!
Cool completely in pan on wire rack, and then remove and snap apart along marked cuts.

Notes

Store at room temperature, in an airtight container, for a week, or wrap tightly and freeze.