Description
A proper buttery shortbread doesn’t need much fuss, just good butter, a little patience, and a light hand with the dough. This one bakes up crisp around the edges, soft in the middle, and somehow disappears from the tin faster than you’d expect.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 110 g caster sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 225 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 110 g cornflour
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 340⁰F (170⁰C).
- Lightly grease a 20cm square baking tin or line it with baking parchment. A shallow tin works best here, so the shortbread bakes evenly.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the 225g softened unsalted butter and 110g caster sugar until pale and fluffy, as it helps give the shortbread its soft, delicate texture.
- Sift in the 225g plain flour, 110g cornflour, and a pinch of salt.
- Mix gently until the dough comes together. It might look a bit crumbly at first, but keep mixing lightly and it’ll smooth out.
- Tip the dough into the prepared tin and press it down evenly to about 1cm thick. Use the back of a spoon first, then your hands to smooth it properly.
- Lightly dust a fork with flour and prick the top all over. This helps the shortbread bake evenly and gives it that classic homemade look.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes, because warm dough spreads too much in the oven.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are lightly golden, and the centre still looks pale.
- Shortbread shouldn’t go deeply brown, or it’ll lose that tender texture.
- Leave it in the tin for about 10 minutes before slicing into fingers or squares.
- Dust lightly with extra caster sugar while still slightly warm if you like a sweeter finish.
- Let the shortbread cool completely before storing.
- It crisps up more as it cools, which is always the hardest waiting part in any kitchen
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Preshana
