Scottish Shortbread

Scottish shortbread baked in a mold and sliced.

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4.97 from 53 votes

Beautiful Scottish shortbread 'petticoat tails' baked in a mold and sprinkled with sugar for a classic holiday cookie.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Scottish

Servings: cookies

Calories: 178kcal

Author: Sue Moran

Equipment

8-inch shortbread mold, optional you can buy them here.

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (you can use salted or unsalted butter, it's your choice.)
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
granulated sugar for sprinkling on the shortbread after baking.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly spray your mold with baking spray.
Put all your ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also make this with electric beaters, or by hand with a wooden spoon. Blend everything together until there is no more dry flour left and the dough is starting to clump together.
Pat your dough into your shortbread pan, getting it evenly distributed and making sure to pack it down well so it gets in all the nooks and crannies of the design.
Smooth out the surface with an offset spatula. I find the best way to get shortbread dough really smooth is to lay a piece of plastic wrap over top and smooth it with the palm of my hand. The plastic works like magic to get the surface nice and smooth.
Bake the shortbread for 30 minutes. It should just be turning golden along the sides. If the center still looks shiny or under-done, bake a few minutes longer. Shortbread is forgiving. A paler shortbread will be softer, while a darker shortbread will be crunchy, and both are delicious.
Let the pan cool for 10 minutes, and then gently loosen the edges with a thin offset spatula. Place a baking sheet or board over the pan, and flip the whole thing over in one swift motion. Gently lift off the pan. If the shortbread does not release at first, give the side of the mold a sharp rap against a hard surface.
Sprinkle the hot shortbread with a little bit of granulated sugar for a touch of sparkle. Slice your shortbread along the lines of the mold right away while the shortbread is still soft.
Keep the shortbread in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes a small amount of shortbread, tailored to an 8-inch shortbread mold like the one I used. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger mold.

Nutrition