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This delicious, 3 ingredient Shortbread is light, buttery, and a breeze to make. I promise that even if you have never baked anything in your life, you will be able to make these with absolute ease
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5 from 4 votes

3 ingredient Shortbread

This delicious, 3 ingredient Shortbread is light, buttery, and a breeze to make. I promise that even if you have never baked anything in your life, you will be able to make these with absolute ease.
Course Cookies
Cuisine Scottish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 16 cookies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup butter See note 1
  • cup powdered sugar See note 2
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F (standard) or 150°C/300°F (fan forced / convection).
  • Grease and line a 23 cm / 9 x 9" square pan with baking paper hanging over the sides.
  • Cream the butter: Use a whisk or electric beater to beat the butter for about 3 minutes until light and creamy.
  • Sift in the powdered sugar: Sifting removes lumps and makes the sugar fluffier by adding air.
  • Beat the sugar and butter: Beat the butter and powdered sugar well, for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
  • Form a soft dough: Sift in the flour and use a spatula or your hands to combine, forming a soft dough..
  • Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan: Pre-cut the dough into the serving slices portions you prefer and pierce each cut portion with a fork.
  • Bake: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Remove the baked shortbread from the oven and use the overhanging baking paper to remove the shortbread from the pan. Use a sharp knife to cut along the pre-cut lines. Dust with a sprinkling of castor sugar for a decorative look and some sweet crunch.

Storage

  • Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
  • In the refrigerator: The cookies can be stored in a dry, airtight container in the refrigerator for 10 days.
  • Or to freeze: When the shortbread is completely cold, layer the slices in airtight containers with pieces of baking paper (parchment paper) in between the layers and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • When freezing, I prefer to use an airtight container rather than bags for the shortbread as it is a little delicate and could break up if it is in a bag and knocked or crushed in the freezer. To thaw the shortbread, put the slices on a wire rack at room temperature for about an hour before eating.

Video

Notes

  1. The butter should be soft at room temperature but not melted. Softened butter ensures that the sugar is well incorporated. If the butter is cold or hard, it won't incorporate easily into the shortbread mixture resulting in an overworked dough which creates a dense bake.
  2. Powdered sugar contributes to that melt in your mouth texture of this bake. I love using it in shortbread because it is easily creamed into the butter. The powdered sugar can also be substituted by using ½ cup (115g) castor, white granulated, or brown sugar. You just have to beat it a little longer to ensure that the larger granules of sugar are properly dissolved.

Nutrition

Serving: 1shortbread cookie | Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @thegardeningfoodie or tag #thegardeningfoodie!