Perfect shortbread requires the right balance of butter, sugar, and flour. Use real, unsalted butter, add a little cornmeal, refrigerate the dough, and bake at a low temperature for the best results.
Shortbread in the oven so it comes out perfectly is a bit of an art. It requires just the right amount of each of its three main ingredients — butter, sugar, and flour — to produce its signature crumble, buttery lightness that even stands up to the toughness test. Many things can affect the outcome of this cookie, but there are a few cookie baking tips that will help ensure success. Using lightly softened unsalted real butter, adding a little rice or cornmeal, refrigerating the dough, and cooking it on a low setting will all help make the perfect shortbread.
Always use real, unsalted butter, never a butter substitute. The shortening in the butter is what gives shortcrust pastry its crumbly texture. Grade AA is the highest quality butter and is preferred for baking shortbread. Soften the butter until pliable but not melted or greasy, and mix it with the sugar until the two ingredients are light and fluffy. One of the keys to perfect shortbread is temperature, so it’s important that the butter is no hotter than room temperature.
A little cornmeal added to regular all-purpose or cake flour gives the shortbread a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Rice flour is also used in some recipes to give a sandy texture to shortbread if this is preferred. Once the flours are mixed, add a pinch of salt to the mixture, sift the flour and salt together and mix the mixture with a fork so that it blends well with the butter and sugar. Combine all the ingredients until the dough begins to form, being careful not to overload the dough, as this will make the pastry tough.
Refrigeration of the shortbread dough for 15 minutes helps firm it up so the shortbread cookies hold their desired shape as they bake. Once chilled, remove the dough from the fridge and, using a rolling pin, gently roll it out onto a dusted wooden cutting board until it is 12.7mm thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes and place on a cold baking sheet. Poke each shape once with a fork and place the pan in the oven.
One tip for baking the cookie to its perfect color and texture is to bake the cookie at a low temperature – 93.3°C (200°F). This allows the shortbread oven to cook long enough to cook through completely without browning or burning. This way, the shortbread will keep its usual pale, almost white color.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
