Name: Shortbread Biscuits - Three Ways
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 80g plain/all-purpose flour; 40g semolina; 80g unsalted butter; 40g icing sugar; ⅛ teaspoon fine salt

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Buttery, melt in the mouth, crunchy, sweet but with a very slight salty kick, these internationally renowned Scottish shortbread biscuits are made with just a few store cupboard ingredients. They are typically made from 3 parts flour, 2 parts sugar, 1 part butter and a touch of salt to enhance all the flavours. Delicious on their own, with a cup of tea or coffee or alongside a delicious creamy dessert such a chocolate mousse or lemon posset.

My husband (he who doesn’t like like sweet things!) absolutely cannot resist a shortbread biscuit. His favourite is the classic recipe but they can also be enhanced with additional flavours such as chocolate chunks, nuts, or lemon and orange zest.

Quick as a flash to make, either in the food processor, with an electric whisk or by hand, you can make these biscuits in under 10 minutes, 15 – 30 minutes in a medium oven, 10 -15 minutes cooling down and all done. I roll them out:

quite thinly if I am serving with a dessert,
thicker if I just want them with tea or coffee, OR
an in-between thickness if I want them to eat both with a dessert and also, on a different occasion, with tea or coffee.

How you choose to roll them out is completely up to you. It will depend on how you want to serve them and how you best like to eat them.

Shortbreads are referenced as far back as the 12th century in Scotland. Traditionally served at feasts and celebrations, they are still strongly associated with Christmas and Hogmanay (New Year). However, I cannot think of any reason not to make them all year round or for any occasion from a party to quick cup of tea!

How to make Shortbread Biscuits

Collect all your ingredients together:

flour
semolina
butter
icing sugar
salt

(I replace ⅓ of the flour with semolina, this helps improve the crunch whilst also enhancing the melt in the mouth quality of the biscuit. This is a common replacement, found in many recipes. Alternatively, some people prefer to use cornflour instead of semolina.

The 3:2:1 ratio of flour/semolina:butter:sugar means this dish is very easy to scale up and down depending on how many biscuits you chose to make. The method is easy:

rub the butter into the flour, semolina and salt, either in a food processor or by hand
add the sugar and mix
bring together into a ball of biscuit dough by pulsing in the food processor or kneading lightly with your hands
roll out as desired and cook on a baking tray – there is no need to grease the tray
sprinkle with sugar, cool and serve

I always make my shortbread in a food processor. Traditionally it is made by hand, rubbing the butter into the flour as described above. However, it can be a bit tricky bringing it all together. In which case, another option would be to beat the butter, sugar and salt together with a whisk until fluffy and then stir in the flour and semolina. Use your hands to gently knead into a ball and carry on as shown below.

Roll out thinly to accompany a creamy dessert.

roll out to roughly 5mm thick
cut out as many rounds as possible and place them on a baking tray leaving some space in between to allow for expansion when cooking
re-roll left over dough until finished
although the dough is very forgiving, it is always best to re-roll as little as possibly to ensure your biscuits are short, crunchy and melt in the mouth. Cut out the biscuits as close together as possible. For my last piece of leftover dough, I push it into the cookie mould to get an exact size
prick each biscuit with a fork before baking.

Cook in a preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes.

they are cooked when very lightly browned
take out of the oven and shake over some caster sugar
after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. Serve as they are or with a creamy dessert. Shown below with chocolate mousse.

Roll out a little thicker and eat either with dessert or with a cup of tea.

roll into an oblong shape using a pallet knife to help keep straight sides
roll the dough to 22cms long and 8cms wide
cut out the biscuits 2cm wide. You will make 11 biscuits.
lay on a baking tray (no need to grease), quite close together
prick each biscuit with a fork before baking.

Cook in a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

they are cooked when very lightly browned
take out of the oven and immediately cut between the biscuits where they have merged using the lines as a guide
shake over some caster sugar
after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. Serve as they are or with a creamy dessert.

Make a thicker, circular shortbread

tip the dough into a 15cm/6 inch circular cake tin with a loose bottom
press the dough evenly into the tin and level the surface. I use the base of a ¼ cup measuring cup
lay a piece of greaseproof paper over the cake tin and then a flat surface such as a chopping board. Invert.
remove the cake tin sides and bottom
crimp the edge of the dough to make a pretty pattern and cut out 8 biscuits. Do not separate the biscuits – leave in the circle
prick each biscuit with a fork before baking.
leave the biscuits on the baking paper and slide them, with the paper, onto a baking tray

Cook in a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes.

they are cooked when very lightly browned
take out of the oven and immediately cut between the biscuits, where they have merged, using the lines as a guide
shake over some caster sugar
after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack. Serve with a cup of tea or coffee

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Shortbread Biscuits – Three Ways

Buttery, melt in the mouth, crunchy, sweet but with a very slight salty kick, these internationally renowned Scottish shortbread biscuits are made with just a few store cupboard ingredients.

Course afternoon tea, Morning Coffee, Snack

Cuisine Scottish

Keyword buttery, Crispy, melt in the mouth, Scottish, shortbread

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Susan

Ingredients

80g plain/all-purpose flour
40g semolina
80g unsalted butter
40g icing sugar
⅛ teaspoon fine salt

NB – use cold butter if making in the food processor or by hand and use room temperature butter if using an electric whisk

Instructions

Make the shortbread:

Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Make in the food processor:
a) put the flour and semolina into the food processor with the salt. Pulse to mix.
b) add the cubed butter and pulse untii it resembles breadcrumbs
c) add the icing sugar and pulse until the mixture starts to come together
d) tip out of the food processor and knead lightly to bring together.
Make using an electric whisk:
a) beat room temperature butter, sugar and salt together until fluffy
b) fold the flour and semolina into the butter and sugar mix and use your hands to bring it together. Knead lightly until thoroughly mixed.
Make by hand:
a) put the flour and semolina into a mixing bowl with the salt. Stir to mix.
b) add the cubed butter and, using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs
c) add the icing sugar and stir to mix.
d) Use your hands to bring the dough together and then knead lightly until thoroughly mixed.
Preheat the oven to Fan Oven140°C/160°C/325°F/Gas 3.
Roll out thinly to accompany a creamy dessert: makes 20 – 21

a) lightly flour the work surface and using a rolling pin, roll out to roughly 5mm thick
b) cut out as many rounds as possible and place them on a baking tray leaving some space in between to allow for expansion when cooking
c) re-roll left over dough until finished, cutting out the biscuits as close together as possible
d) for my last piece of leftover dough, I push it into the cookie mould to get an exact size
e) lay on a baking tray (no need to grease), with some space in between to allow for expansion during cooking, and prick each biscuit with a fork before baking
f) cook in a preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes
g) they are cooked when very lightly browned
h) take out of the oven and shake over some caster sugar
i) after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack
j) serve with a creamy dessert
Roll out a little thicker and eat either with dessert or with a cup of tea: makes 11

a) roll into an oblong shape using a pallet knife to help keep straight sides
b) roll the dough to 22cms long and 8cms wide and cut out 11 biscuits 2cm wide
c) lay on a baking tray (no need to grease), quite close together prick each biscuit with a fork before baking.
d) cook in a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes
e) they are cooked when very lightly browned
f) take out of the oven and immediately cut between the biscuits, where they have merged using the lines as a guide
g) shake over some caster sugar
h) after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack
i) serve as they are or with a creamy dessert.
Make a thicker, circular shortbread: makes 8
a) tip the dough into a 6 inch circular cake tin with a loose bottom
b) press the dough evenly into the tin and level the surface. I use the base of a ¼ cup measuring cup
c) lay a piece of greaseproof paper over the cake tin and then a flat surface such as a chopping board and invert
d) remove the cake tin sides and bottom and crimp the edge of the dough to make a pretty pattern
e) cut out 8 biscuits, do not separate the biscuits – leave in the circle, and prick each biscuit with a fork before baking
f) leave the biscuits on the baking paper and slide them, with the paper, onto a baking tray
g) cook in a preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes
h) they are cooked when very lightly browned
i) take out of the oven and immediately cut between the biscuits, where they have merged using the lines as a guide
j) shake over some caster sugar
h) after 5 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack
i) serve as they are with a cup of tea.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

food processor or mixing bowl
rolling pin
large baking tray (lined with baking parchment)
cooling rack

Scale up or scale down:

The ratio for shortbread is –

3 parts plain/all-purpose flour
2 parts unsalted butter
1 part icing sugar
touch of salt

You can make these with just flour but I use a combination of flour and semolina. This is divided into 1/3 semolina and 2/3 flour and really helps to give you a crunchy, melt in the mouth biscuit. Both Delia and Mary Berry use semolina. Nigella uses cornflour in the same proportions as it also improves the crispiness of the biscuit. I haven’t tried it but if you do not have semolina, you may wish to use cornflour instead.

The recipe given here is: