The result of this basic Rolled Shortbread Cookies recipe is a tender, rich, buttery-flavored sturdy cookie that stands great just as it is, or provides a wonderful canvas for added embellishments. -- Like a dip in chocolate or a big smear of frosting. Personally, I enjoy them best plain, just as they are. Just pass a big cup of coffee or glass of milk to go alongside, please!
You know those basics for which it's just great to have a fabulous, no-fail, go-to recipe? One that tastes amazing and you know you can count on to turn out beautifully every time? Like the perfect creme brulee ... or no-fail homemade lemon bars ... or the best oatmeal cookies around, perhaps.
Well, this basic rolled Shortbread Cookies recipe is just one of those go-to recipes!
With their rich buttery flavor and tender texture, you'll find yourself coming back to this tasty shortbread cookie recipe over and over again.
Now in it's truly simplest form, traditional shortbread contains just four ingredients -- butter, sugar, flour, and a touch of salt. No flavoring. No leavener. No liquid. No egg.
Which results in its classic crumbly texture.
With this rolled cookie version, a couple of tweaks are made to the classic traditional shortbread dough to make it more suitable for rolling.
With this rolled shortbread cookie version, a couple of tweaks are made to the classic traditional shortbread dough to make it more suitable for rolling -- while still maintaining the rich, buttery shortbread flavor that's so loved. (And if you like even more rich buttery flavor, check out our basic rolled butter cookies recipe.)
This basic rolled shortbread dough still relies on the traditional combination of sugar, butter, and flour with just a touch a salt. And while it sticks to the traditional lack of egg, it does include a small bit of milk to bring the dough together into a rollable consistency.
The dough also contains just a tiny bit of baking powder to give the cookies a tiny bit of lift. And then a tiny hint of vanilla extract for added flavor deliciousness.
The result is a shortbread dough that's just perfect for rolling that bakes up into a tender, rich buttery-flavored, sturdy cookie.
With their rich buttery flavor and tender texture, you'll find yourself coming back to this tasty shortbread cookie recipe over and over again.
Basic Rolled Shortbread Cookie Ingredients:
This basic rolled shortbread cookie recipe veers outside the lines a bit of traditional shortbread ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, and salt) to make the dough more suitable for rolling and to create a flavorful tender-textured cookie. To whip up a delicious batch, you'll need:
- Butter - A traditional shortbread ingredient, butter serves as the foundation of the rolled shortbread dough. We recommend unsalted butter so as the baker, you can better control the amount of salt in the dough.
- Granulated sugar - Another of the 4 traditional shortbread ingredients, granulated sugar is the shortbread's sweetener.
- All-purpose flour - Also a traditional shortbread ingredient, all-purpose flour creates the structure of the cookie dough.
- Salt - The final of the 4 ingredients in traditional shortbread cookies, a small touch of salt amps up the flavor the cookies.
- Milk - A non-traditional shortbread ingredient, a small touch of milk brings the dough together into a rollable consistency. Just 2 tablespoons is all that's needed. We recommend whole milk for its richness, but 2% or skim work fine as well.
- Baking powder - Leavening agents are not traditional in shortbread recipes. However, a small bit of baking powder gives these rolled shortbread cookies a tiny bit of lift when they bake, helping create a tender-textured cookie.
- Vanilla extract - Though also not traditional in shortbread cookies, vanilla extract brings wonderful flavor to the finished cookies. Choose pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation, for the best flavor result.
How to Make Basic Rolled Shortbread Cookies:
Start a batch of these tasty cookies by first mixing up the dough.
In a mixing bowl, beat some softened butter for about 30 seconds with an electric mixer. Then add in some granulated sugar and a bit of vanilla extract, and beat everything together until it's light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together some all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a touch of salt. With an electric mixer on low speed, gradually add this flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until the ingredients are just combined. To get the dough to come together into a consistency suitable for rolling, add a little milk and blend on low speed until the milk is just combined.
Divide the dough into two equal parts and use your hands to form each part into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour before rolling.
It may be tempting to skip this chilling time, but chilling the dough is essential to easy cutting of the cookies and to keeping the shortbread cookies from spreading while baking.
After the dough has chilled, you're reading to roll it and cut out the cookies.
Working with one disc at a time, remove the dough disc from the refrigerator and roll it to just slightly thicker than 1/8-inch thickness. To prevent sticking and tearing of the dough, sprinkle your work surface, the top of the dough, and your rolling pin with a bit of all-purpose flour before rolling.
Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters, and carefully transfer the cut cookies to a baking sheet with a small spatula. Re-roll the remaining dough scraps and continue to cut until all the dough is used. This shortbread cookie dough can stretch out of shape easily when warm. -- For the best result, keep the dough as cold as possible while cutting the cookies.
Pop the cut cookies into the oven to bake for about 10-12 minutes until they're just starting to turn pale golden brown on the edges. Once baked, allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Then you're ready to decorate these little beauties, if you'd like.
The result of this rolled shortbread cookie recipe is a tender, rich buttery-flavored sturdy cookie that stands great just as it is, or provides a wonderful canvas base for added embellishments ... like a dip in chocolate or a smear of frosting ... or for more complex creations like homemade Samoas or Twix cookies.
As for me? -- Personally, I enjoy these rolled Shortbread Cookies best plain, just as they are. Just pass a big cup of coffee or glass of milk to go along with them, please!
Check out these other classic cookie favorites:
- The BEST Snickerdoodles
- Insanely DeliciousTurtle Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- The BEST Oatmeal Cookies
- Molasses Crinkles
- 7-Layer Cookies
- Morecookie recipes
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!
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Cookies & Bars
Yield: varies with cookie cutter size
Author:Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground
Basic Rolled Shortbread Cookies
The result of this basic Rolled Shortbread Cookies recipe is a tender, rich, buttery-flavored sturdy cookie that stands great just as it is, or provides a wonderful canvas for added embellishments. -- Like a dip in chocolate or a big smear of frosting.
prep time: 1 H & 30 Mcook time: 12 Mtotal time: 1 H & 42 M
ingredients:
- 1 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 T. milk
instructions:
How to cook Basic Rolled Shortbread Cookies
- In a mixing bowl, beat softened butter for about 30 seconds with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add sugar and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the milk and blend until just combined.
- Divide dough into two equal parts and use your hands to form each part into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. It may be tempting to skip the chilling time, but chilling the dough is essential to easy cutting of the cookies and to keeping the cookies from spreading while baking.
- Working with one disc at a time, remove from the refrigerator and roll to just slightly thicker than 1/8-inch thickness. To prevent sticking and tearing of the dough, sprinkle your work surface, the top of the dough, and your rolling pin with a bit of all-purpose flour before rolling.
- Use a round cookie cutter (or other shapes as desired) to cut the dough into cookies. Carefully transfer cut cookies to a baking sheet with a small spatula. Re-roll the remaining dough scraps and continue to cut until all the dough is used. The cookie dough can stretch out of shape easily when warm -- For the best result, keep the dough as cold as possible while cutting the cookies.
- Bake cookies at 350℉for 10 - 12 minutes until just starting to turn pale golden brown on the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
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