Buttery Crumbly Shortbread Cookies (Printable Version)

Tender, buttery shortbread with a crumbly texture, perfect for tea time or a delightful snack.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - ¼ cup cornstarch
05 - ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
03 - Sift in flour, cornstarch, and sea salt, mixing gently until a soft dough forms without overworking.
04 - Press dough evenly into an 8x8-inch baking pan or shape into a ½-inch thick rectangle on the prepared baking sheet.
05 - Score the dough into wedges or fingers with a sharp knife, then prick each portion lightly with a fork.
06 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until edges are pale golden, avoiding browning.
07 - Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then cut along scored lines and cool completely before serving.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • These cookies actually taste like butter, not sugar, which is the whole point.
  • They're impossibly simple to make yet feel fancy enough to share with people you actually like.
  • One batch stays fresh for days, so you can pretend you're a morning baker without the pressure.
02 -
  • Room-temperature butter makes all the difference—cold butter won't cream properly, and warm butter makes a greasy mess.
  • The cornstarch is not optional; it's what keeps these tender and crumbly instead of dense and cakey.
  • Scoring before baking saves your sanity; trying to cut cooled shortbread without score lines leaves jagged edges.
03 -
  • Weigh your ingredients if possible; flour can be packed differently depending on who's measuring, and that changes the texture.
  • If your butter is too soft or your kitchen is very warm, refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes before baking so it doesn't spread too thin.
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