Description
These Easy Irish Shortbread Cookies are crisp, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Made with simple ingredients like Irish butter, vanilla, sugar, flour, and corn starch, these cookies come together quickly without needing a mixer. Perfectly golden and sprinkled with sugar, they are ideal for any occasion and sure to disappear fast!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Shortbread Dough
- 8 ounces very soft butter (Irish butter, if available, salted preferred)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup corn starch
Topping
- Sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Prepare Baking Sheets: Line two sheet pans with parchment paper to ensure the cookies do not stick during baking.
- Mix Butter and Vanilla: In a large bowl, combine the very soft butter and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain for a creamy base.
- Add Sugar: Stir in the granulated sugar until fully incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour and corn starch to the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until all the flour is incorporated, even if it seems like there is too much at first.
- Knead Dough: Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface. Knead gently for about 30 seconds until the dough forms a smooth ball and is no longer sticky. Divide the dough in half and set one portion aside.
- Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness. Add more flour to the surface or rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.
- Cut Shapes: Cut the dough into your desired cookie shapes and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Gather any dough scraps, knead briefly, roll out again, and cut more shapes until all dough is used.
- Chill Dough: Place the sheet pans uncovered in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to 12 hours to firm up the dough before baking.
- Preheat Oven: When ready, preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C).
- Bake First Phase: Remove the refrigerated cookies and bake for 8 minutes.
- Add Sugar Topping: Remove from oven and lightly sprinkle granulated sugar over the cookies. Use the back of a flat metal spatula to flatten any puffed parts gently.
- Bake Second Phase: Sprinkle more granulated sugar and return the cookies to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, or until they turn light golden brown.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store: Once cooled, store the shortbread cookies in an airtight container. Hide them if you plan to serve guests, as they tend to disappear quickly!
Notes
- These cookies require only one bowl and no mixer, making them a quick and simple treat.
- Use Irish butter if possible for authentic flavor; salted butter works best.
- Chilling the dough before baking is crucial to achieving the perfect texture.
- Rolling the dough to ¼-inch thickness ensures crisp, tender cookies.
- Adjust the amount of sugar sprinkled on top according to your sweetness preference.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them fresh and crisp.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 105 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 58 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg
