These Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tender, rich, and lightly sweet. These delicious cookies are traditional, simple, humble, tempting, and perfect with coffee or tea!
You can make these eggless Shortbread Cookies in a classical way or customize them as you prefer; they are equally delicious.
Delicious Shortbread Cookies
While buying store-bought shortbread cookies is easy, making them at home is pure joy! The recipe is incredibly easy, and the dough comes together quickly. Also, it requires very few ingredients.
In my opinion, homemade cookies are fresher, have better flavors, and are more tender. Also, we know what goes into making cookies, and we can stay away from artificial colors or additives. My family does not prefer too much sweetness. So the best part of making baked goods at home is that I can control the amount of sugar.
Shortbread cookies are perfectly crisp outside and still very tender and melt in the mouth. The texture is slightly crumbly and flaky. They are flavored with warm and sweet pure vanilla.
Ingredients and Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: I have used unbleached all-purpose flour, which I mainly use for most of my baking goods.
- Cornstarch: It helps in making these cookies extra tender. But if you do not have cornstarch, you can replace it with rice or all-purpose flour. Instead of cornstarch, you can also use vanilla custard powder.
- Salt: I like these buttery cookies with a slight contrast of salt. Some classic shortbread cookie recipes do not call for salt. If you prefer, you can also skip the salt.
- Unsalted Butter: You can also use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. However, skip the salt from the recipe.
- Icing Sugar: Icing sugar makes the cookies sweet and helps make the cookies tender and light. For very lightly sweet cookies, reduce the icing sugar to ¾ cup.
- Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla. Instead of vanilla extract, add another flavor of your choice, like almond or coconut.
- Granulated Sugar For Topping: I love to sprinkle the top of the cookies with granulated sugar. It adds a sparkling effect and a nice crunch. But, of course, you can skip the topping if you want.
How To Make Shortbread Cookies
Preparations
- Line the cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- This recipe will yield 20-24 cookies. So, if you have two cookie sheets, line them both.
Making the Dough
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
- Set aside.
- Place butter and icing sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.
- Instead of a stand mixer, you can also use a hand-held electric mixer or food processor.
- Cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, initially at low speed and then at medium to high speed, until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and mix for a few seconds until well combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the mixer to low and add flour in two parts.
- Mix until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- The dough should be soft and hold its shape but not sticky or crumbly.
- If it is dry, crumbly, and not coming together, add 1 teaspoon of milk or as required to bring the dough together.
Rolling and Cutting the Dough
- Place the dough on a clean and lightly floured work surface.
- You can use a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick.
Note: In this recipe, I first roll the dough, cut it into circles, and then chill the cookie dough cutouts. But if your dough is very soft and sticky and you are having trouble rolling it, you can place it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Then, take it out and continue with the following procedures.
- Using the circular cookie cutter, cut out the cookie dough into circles.
- Instead of a circular cookie cutter, you can use your favorite one to shape the cookies.
- Gather the scraps, roll them again in a ¼-inch thick disc, and make more cookie dough circles.
- Carefully transfer to the prepared cookie sheets and place them at least 1 inch apart.
Chilling the Cookie Dough Cutouts
- Now, transfer these cookie sheets to the fridge and chill the cookie dough circles for 30 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can also freeze them for 15 minutes.
Baking the Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Bake the cookies, one cookie sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes or until cookies are dry to the touch and lightly golden around the edges.
- While the first cookie sheet is in the oven, keep the second one in the fridge.
- Remove the cookies from the oven.
- Sprinkle the cookies generously with granulated sugar while the cookies are still warm.
- Then, transfer them to wire racks and allow them to cool completely.
Storing Suggestions
These cookies are great as cookie jar cookies. They can stay at room temperature for several days, stored in an airtight container.
Shortbread Cookies also freeze well. Store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to a month.
Variations
We can treat shortbread cookie dough as a base and add add-ins of our choice.
For example, finely chopped nuts can go well with this cookie dough to make buttery and nutty cookies.
For more flavors, we can add lemon zest or orange zest.
Dip half of the shortbread cookies into melted chocolate for the chocolatey treat.
Add dried fruit powder for the fruity-flavored cookies.
Besides vanilla, you can use other extracts, such as almond or coconut.
Add mini chocolate chips to the dough.
Baking Tips For Shortbread Cookies
Measuring: For the perfect cookies, make sure to measure the flour correctly. I will suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff your flour with the spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with the knife.
Dough: Do not overwork the dough; otherwise, it will end up in dense and crumbly cookies. If your dough is very soft and sticky and you have trouble rolling it, refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes. Then, roll it and continue with the rest of the procedures.
Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla, not artificial extract.
Make Ahead: You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
Cookie Shape: You can cut the dough with any of your favorite cookie cutters.
More Eggless Cookies
Recipe Card
Shortbread Cookies (Eggless)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (130g) icing sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla
- Granulated sugar as needed for the toppings
Instructions
Preparations
- Line two cookie sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
Making The Dough
- Whisk flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Place butter and icing sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer.
- Cream the butter and sugar using a paddle attachment, initially at low speed and then at medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add vanilla and mix until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low and add flour in two parts and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- The dough should be soft and hold its shape but not sticky. If it is dry, crumbly, and not coming together, you can add 1 teaspoon of milk or as required to bring the dough together.
Rolling and Cutting The Dough
- Place the dough on a clean and lightly floured work surface. You can use a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thick.
- Note: In this recipe, I have first roll the dough, cut it into circles, and then chilled the cookie dough cutouts. But if your dough is very soft and sticky and having trouble rolling it, you can first place it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Then take it out and continue with the following procedures.
- Then use the circular cookie cutter and cut out the cookie dough into circles. Instead of a circular cookie cutter, you can use your favorite one to shape the cookies.
- Gather the scraps, roll them again in a ¼ inch thick disc, and make more cookie dough circles.
- Carefully transfer to the prepared cookie sheets and place them about at least 1-inch apart.
Chilling The Dough Cutouts
- Now transfer these cookie sheets into the fridge and chill the cookie dough circles for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can also freeze them for 15 minutes.
Baking Shortbread Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Bake the cookies, one cookie sheet at a time, for 15-18 minutes or until cookies are dry to touch and lightly golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cookies generously with granulated sugar while cookies are still warm. Then transfer to wire racks and allow them to cool completely.
Storing Suggestions
- These cookies are great as cookie jar cookies. They can stay at room temperature for several days, stored in an airtight container.
- Shortbread Cookies also freeze well. Store them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to a month,
Notes
- Measuring: To make perfect cookies, measure the flour correctly. I suggest using a kitchen scale. If using the cup method, fluff the flour with a spoon and then spoon it into a measuring cup. Then, level it off with a knife.
- Dough: Do not overwork the dough; otherwise, it will end up in dense and crumbly cookies. If your dough is very soft and sticky and you have trouble rolling it, refrigerate it for at least 15 minutes. Then, roll it and continue with the rest of the procedures.
- Vanilla: For the best flavor, use pure vanilla, not artificial extract.
- Make Ahead: You can make the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours.
- Cookie Cutter: You can cut the dough with any of your favorite cookie cutters.
Anu says
Hii.. Good afternoon. Just want to know can I make alfajores with these cookies? TIA
Jigna says
Hi Anu, yes, you can try this recipe to make Alfajores. However, please note that in Alfajores, traditionally, the amount of cornstarch is much higher, so they are more delicate than shortbread cookies.
Maya says
Hello,
Can i add cocoa powder to half the recipe to make a half batch chocolate and half batch vanilla?
And how much cocoa powder should i add to half the dough then?
Jigna says
Hi Maya, to add cocoa powder, you will need to reduce the amount of flour. So, for half the recipe, add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder and remove an equal amount of flour. I hope this will help!