Sugared Shortbread cookies are the perfect lightly sweetened, tender and buttery cookies for enjoying anytime of the day.
My recipe for Sugared Shortbread cookies is a feature in an article for The New York Times by Melissa Clark. With 500+ 5 star reviews, it is 1 of 3 recipes in her Just One More Cookie! article.
Enjoying a cookie break is an important part of my day. And Sugared Shortbread cookies are one of my favorite cookies. I love ….
- Granola Cookies with coffee or relaxing breakfast
- The Perfect Sugar Cookie as a pick me up in the late afternoon
- Almond Butter Cookies with a warm glass of milk before bed
I was introduced to Sugared Shortbread cookies by a good friend. She can brew a pot of coffee and have a tasty baked good ready at a moment’s notice. Even if I stop by unannounced which is usually the case. Some of my favorite recipes have come from family and friends. They are tried and true recipes and ones that everyone loves. After making this recipe dozens of times, I knew I had to submit this Sugared Shortbread recipe to the New York Times as one of my favorite cookies.
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the ingredients in shortbread cookies
There are only 4 ingredients in this shortbread recipe.
- all purpose flour
- rice flour
- granulated sugar
- salted butter
This shortbread cookie recipe produces buttery, dense treats are melt-in-your mouth delicious and include rice flour as an ingredient. Rice flour adds to the delicate texture of the cookies. It is available at your local grocery store in the baking aisle or can be bought online. One brand I typically use is Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour. Or make your own rice flour by grinding white rice in a coffee bean grinder.
chef baking tips for Sugared Shortbread cookies
- Make sure the oven is preheated at least 15 minutes before you bake the cookies. This will ensure they bake evenly and there are not any hot or cold spots in the oven.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper so the shortbread cookies slide out easily.
- If you use unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt along with the other ingredients.
- Firmly and evenly press the cookie dough into the pan. The shortbread cookies will then all be the same thickness.
- Make sure to sprinkle the baked shortbread with a generous amount of granulated sugar and cut in the pan as soon as you take it out of the oven. Shortbread is delicate and crumbly by nature. Cutting 1 by 2 inch cookie sticks while they are hot helps prevent the cookies from falling apart.
- Also let them cool completely in the pan before removing them.
I suggest you start a batch of Sugared Shortbread cookies now. That way it will be ready for when that next cookie attack strikes.
If you make my sugared shortbread cookies, I’d love hearing from you all. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations
my videos ~ rustic Irish soda bread
Sugared Shortbread Cookies
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Description
These buttery, dense treats are melt-in-your mouth delicious and include rice flour, sugar and butter as ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup rice flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill White Rice Flour)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling on top
- 1 cup salted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, rice flour and sugar. Stir in the melted butter. Add a little more flour if needed for the dough to be a firm consistency.
- Press evenly into prepared pan to a thickness of about 1 inch.
- Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the shortbread is evenly golden brown and slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from the oven. Sprinkle generously with the extra sugar and immediately cut into cookie sticks about 1 inch by 2 inch each.
- Cool completely before removing from pan.
Notes
- Make sure the oven is preheated at least 15 minutes before you bake the cookies. This will ensure they bake evenly and there are not any hot or cold spots in the oven.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper so the shortbread cookies slide out easily.
- If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the recipe.
- Firmly and evenly press the cookie dough into the pan. The shortbread cookies will then all be the same thickness.
- Make sure to sprinkle the baked shortbread with a generous amount of granulated sugar and cut in the pan as soon as you take it out of the oven. Shortbread is delicate and crumbly by nature. Cutting 1 by 2 inch cookie sticks while they are hot helps prevent the cookies from falling apart.
- Also let them cool completely in the pan before removing them.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: Scottish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 2.1 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.4 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Keywords: shortbread cookie recipe, sugared shortbread new york times, shortbread recipe easy
Do you use confectioners sugar or granulated sugar for the cookie mixture?
★★★★★
Katelyn ~
Use granulated sugar in the recipe. Happy baking!
★★★★★
This is easily the best and easiest shortbread I’ve ever made. It has a somewhat non-traditional texture but is very enjoyable! I made my own rice flour. My one question: on the NYT site it is described as “accentuated by the coating of granulated sugar on the top and bottom”. I can’t figure out how to sugar the bottom…
★★★★★
Hi Mary ~ I am so glad you have enjoyed the shortbread recipe. It truly is the easiest recipe to make. I am not really sure about the comment in the NYT site that indicates the sugar on the top and bottom. The sugar is only coating the top. It’s a mystery .
Thanks again for stopping by my blog 🙂
How much salt if I use unsalted butter?
Jan ~ if using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt along with the other ingredients.
Can u make shortbread cookies with just rice sweetened flour without adding Granulate sugar, and regular flour mix… or can u replace it with Stevia as a reduce calorie cookie, can u also use icing sugar instead of regular sugar?
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Yours truly
Margaret
Hi Margaret ~ Thanks for your questions. Unfortunately, I have not made the kinds of ingredient substitutions that you asked about so I can’t give you a good answer.
Hi! Can I omit or replace the rice flour?
Hi Andrea ~ the rice flour is what gives the shortbread its sandy texture that make it a unique cookie. In a pinch you can substitute 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for the rice flour. This will produce a more tender cookie. Happy baking!