Shortbread

A shortbread is a traditional Scottish biscuit that is made from flour, sugar, and butter. The ingredients are combined to form a dough, which is then rolled out and cut into shapes. Shortbread is typically baked in a round or square shape, and it is often decorated with a simple pattern.

The history of shortbread recipes can be traced back to the early 19th century. At that time, shortbread was made with oatmeal and flour, and it was often flavored with caraway seeds. Shortbread was a popular treat during the Christmas season, and it was often given as a gift.

In the early 20th century, shortbread recipes began to include other ingredients such as currants, raisins, and lemon zest. These additions gave the biscuits a more complex flavor. Shortbread was also made with different types of flour, including rye flour and whole wheat flour.

Advice

When making shortbread, it is important to make sure you use the right ingredients and follow instructions carefully. Start by using cold butter, as this helps the shortbread to develop its characteristic crumbly texture. It is also important to use the right amount of sugar and flour to ensure the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. When cutting your shortbread dough, use a sharp knife and cut into small shapes to ensure even baking. Finally, bake the shortbread until it is lightly golden, as this will ensure that it is cooked through and not too hard. Following these simple steps will help you create the perfect batch of shortbread!

Jump to: Ingredient Breakdown Insights

Recipes

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Millionaire’s Shortbread

  • CARAMEL LAYER
  • sweetened condensed milk
  • salt
  • vanilla extract
  • lyle syrup
  • butter
  • SHORTBREAD LAYER
  • all purpose flour
  • butter
  • sugar
  • salt
  • CHOCOLATE
  • semisweet chocolate
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Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread

  • BROWNIE
  • salt
  • sugar
  • butter
  • vanilla extract
  • all purpose flour
  • light brown sugar
  • cocoa powder
  • salt
  • chocolate
  • egg
  • almond
  • SHORTBREAD
  • butter
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • sugar
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Stamped Citrus Shortbread

  • COOKIES
  • butter
  • lemon
  • orange
  • sugar
  • salt
  • lemon extract
  • vanilla extract
  • cornstarch
  • all purpose flour
  • GLAZE
  • orange juice
  • butter
  • confectioners sugar
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Pretzel Shortbread

  • pretzel salt
  • demerara sugar
  • butter
  • pretzel crumb
  • baking soda
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
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Chocolate-Peppermint Shortbread

  • PEPPERMINT MERINGUE
  • red coloring
  • peppermint extract
  • salt
  • egg white
  • sugar
  • CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD
  • all purpose flour
  • vanilla extract
  • egg yolk
  • butter
  • dutch cocoa powder
  • light brown sugar
  • salt
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Peanut Shortbread With Honeycomb

  • CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  • salt
  • vegetable shortening
  • dark chocolate
  • COOKIE LAYER
  • peanut
  • butter
  • vanilla paste
  • sugar
  • light brown sugar
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • HONEYCOMB LAYER
  • baking soda
  • sugar
  • honey
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Maple Shortbread Bars

  • FILLING
  • maple extract
  • vanilla
  • brown sugar
  • salt
  • pecan
  • egg
  • maple syrup
  • butter
  • CRUST
  • sugar
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • butter
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Spiced Pecan Date Shortbread Bars

  • SHORTBREAD CRUST
  • butter
  • powdered sugar
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • FILLING
  • dark rum
  • orange zest
  • cardamom
  • salt
  • vanilla extract
  • maple syrup
  • molasses
  • allspice
  • clove
  • nutmeg
  • egg
  • butter
  • date
  • pecan
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Thandai Shortbread Cookies

  • SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
  • spice mill
  • COOKIES AND ASSEMBLY
  • white chocolate chip
  • rose petal
  • refined coconut oil
  • butter
  • all purpose flour
  • vanilla extract
  • sugar
  • salt
  • pistachio
  • THANDAI MASALA
  • rose petal
  • poppy seed
  • almond
  • cashew
  • pistachio
  • cinnamon
  • fennel seed
  • star anise pod
  • nutmeg
  • black peppercorn
  • saffron thread
  • clove
  • cardamom
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Shortbread

  • burro
  • burro
  • cioccolato
  • farina
  • panna
  • panna
  • sale fino
  • sale fino cucchiaino
  • zucchero
  • zucchero velo
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Almond Shortbreads

  • egg white
  • all purpose flour
  • almond
  • salt
  • almond extract
  • butter
  • vanilla extract
  • sugar
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Einkorn Shortbreads

  • SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
  • cookie cutter triangle
  • salt
  • butter
  • all purpose flour
  • powdered sugar
  • dark brown sugar
  • einkorn flour
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Millionaire's Shortbread

  • condensed milk
  • dark chocolate chip
  • milk chocolate chip
  • white chocolate chip
  • all purpose flour
  • sugar
  • butter
  • confectioners sugar
  • cornstarch
  • maple syrup
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Caramel Chocolate Shortbreads

  • nonstick spray
  • semi sweet chocolate chip
  • vanilla extract
  • caramel
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • butter
  • confectioners sugar
  • sweetened coconut
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Tomato-Thyme Shortbreads with Olive Gremolata

  • Gremolata
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • lemon juice
  • lemon zest
  • garlic
  • green olife
  • kalamata olife
  • parsley
  • olive oil
  • Shortbreads
  • all purpose flour
  • parmesan cheese
  • thyme
  • sugar
  • butter
  • salt
  • tomato paste
  • cayenne pepper
  • black pepper
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Grapefruit-Vanilla Shortbread

  • springform
  • himalayan pink salt
  • all purpose flour
  • grapefruit zest
  • vanilla extract
  • butter
  • salt
  • powdered sugar
  • grapefruit juice
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Spicy Cocktail Shortbreads

  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • butter
  • curry powder
  • sugar
  • chili powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • black pepper
  • turmeric
  • sweet paprika
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Millionaire Shortbread

  • sweetened condensed milk
  • all purpose flour
  • chocolate
  • butter
  • salt
  • brown sugar
  • heavy cream
  • sugar
  • butter
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Billionaire's Shortbread

  • Ganache
  • salt
  • marshmallow
  • heavy cream
  • dark chocolate
  • Caramel
  • sugar
  • butter
  • heavy cream
  • salt
  • water
  • Shortbread
  • butter
  • salt
  • sugar
  • cornmeal
  • all purpose flour
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Raspberry Shortbread Bars

  • powdered sugar
  • sugar
  • baking powder
  • vanilla extract
  • salt
  • all purpose flour
  • egg yolk
  • butter
  • raspberry preserve
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Shortbread Cookies

  • confectionerand# sugar
  • vanilla extract
  • salt
  • oil
  • milk
  • all purpose flour
  • semisweet chocolate
  • butter
  • lemon zest
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Chocolate Shortbread

  • sanding sugar
  • confectioners sugar
  • egg yolk
  • milk
  • salt
  • dutch process cocoa powder
  • clove
  • vanilla extract
  • all purpose flour
  • butter

Ingredient Breakdown

 
butter
salt
all purpose flour
sugar
vanilla extract
egg
powdered sugar
confectioners sugar
light brown sugar
egg yolk
almond
baking powder
cinnamon
semisweet chocolate
cornstarch
orange zest
lemon zest
demerara sugar
baking soda
egg white
sanding sugar
vanilla
brown sugar
pecan
cayenne pepper
black pepper
clove
cardamom
heavy cream
almond extract
sweetened condensed milk
cocoa powder
nonstick spray
dark chocolate
maple syrup
dutch process cocoa powder
husked hazelnut
poppy seed
pistachio
lemon juice
semi sweet chocolate chip
milk
rice flour
chocolate
orange juice
icing sugar
vegetable shortening
honey
sesame seed
rosemary
molasses
nutmeg
white chocolate
white chocolate chip
rose petal
cashew
burro
panna
turmeric
ginger
almond flour
turbinado sugar
sweet chocolate chip
dark brown sugar
sweet
lyle syrup
lemon
orange
lemon extract
pretzel salt
pretzel crumb
loose earl grey tea
red coloring
peppermint extract
dutch cocoa powder
green maraschino cherry
red maraschino cherry
peanut
vanilla paste
coconut
bittersweet dark chocolate
maple extract
tahini
cake flour
ouzo
dark rum
allspice
date
caraway seed
dried fruit
egg recommended
ground lavender
tartar cream
chocolate chip
melting chocolate wafer
sleeves ritz cracker
vegetable oil
vanilla sugar
white nonpareil
dulce de leche
candied ginger
gelatin
matcha
bittersweet chocolate
sour cream
spice mill
refined coconut oil
fennel seed
star anise pod
black peppercorn
saffron thread
cioccolato
farina
sale fino
sale fino cucchiaino
zucchero
zucchero velo
malted milk powder
refined white sugar
coconut oil
sugar substitute
tart cherry
cranberry
walnut
rose water
white rice flour
milk chocolate
margarine
cream
tipu chai now
white sesame seed
rye flour
milk chocolate morsel
pink peppercorn
cherry
cookie cutter triangle
einkorn flour
condensed milk
dark chocolate chip
milk chocolate chip
caramel
sweetened coconut
parmesan cheese
thyme
garlic
green olife
kalamata olife
tomato paste
parsley
olive oil
mccormick® vanilla extract
mccormick® almond extract
mccormick® nutmeg
maraschino cherry
blood oranges zest
blood orange juice
polenta
blueberry
coriander
grind cornmeal
orange flower water
semolina flour
dark coffee
white
italian flour
clementine
pectin
null powdered sugar
null salt
springform
himalayan pink salt
grapefruit zest
grapefruit juice
curry powder
chili powder
sweet paprika
marshmallow
cornmeal
water
sage
raspberry preserve
white wheat flour
mascarpone cheese
acacia honey
pear
light corn syrup
confectionerand# sugar
oil

Insights

Correlated with Higher Ratings

  • egg

Staple Ingredients

  • all purpose flour 55%
  • butter 55%
  • salt 49%

Common Ingredients

  • sugar 40%

Usual Ingredients

  • vanilla extract 24%
  • egg 11%
  • confectioners sugar 10%
  • powdered sugar 10%
  • light brown sugar 9%
  • baking powder 6%
  • semisweet chocolate 6%