Get the Recipe:Simply Perfect Crispy Scottish Shortbread
Lovely crisp Scottish shortbread, made with just 4 simple ingredients! Simply mix and press into the pan. The unique twice-baked shortbread ensures perfect texture every time.
1 1/2cups(180g)all purpose flour, measure with the spoon and level method
1/2cup(77g)white rice flour, spooned and levelled (not glutinous rice flour)
1/2cup(100g)white granulated sugar
1cup(227g)unsalted butter, cold, cut into about 16 pieces **see Note 2 below
1/4teaspoonfine sea salt , omit if using salted butter
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Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F (regular bake/not fan-assisted), with rack in centre of the oven. Line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an inch or so overhanging the sides to use as handles to remove the cookies later. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the all-purpose flour, rice flour and sugar. Add the cold butter cubes and mix on low speed for several minutes, until the butter is broken down into small, even-sized pieces. Mixture will usually be loose and sandy, but if you grab a bit of it and squeeze it, it should form a clump. (If your butter had more moisture, the mixture could be more moist. As long as it isn't sticky, it's fine. See Note 2 below to troubleshoot texture).
Dump mixture into your prepared baking pan. Using a kitchen spatula, press mixture firmly into the pan. (See process photos above this recipe card). Try to get the top as even as you can.
Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until set, but not with any browning around the edges at all. (If you dough was more moist, it may need a few more minutes in the oven, maybe 40 minutes). Remove from oven (*Leave oven on!) and let stand for ONLY 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut (slowly and carefully), into 16 pieces (1-inch wide x 4-inches long). Using a fork, press fork twice into each of the "sticks", if you like, making sure to press right through the cookie to the bottom of the pan.
Grab a baking sheet. Very carefully, using the parchment overhang as handles, lift the cookies out of the pan on the parchment paper. Set onto baking sheet with parchment paper still underneath. Using a fork, gently slide the cookie sticks apart, so there is a bit of space between each piece. *If a cookie stick breaks, you can often press it back together at this point and it will mend itself during the final bit of cooking.
Return to the 350F oven, BUT IMMEDIATELY TURN THE OVEN OFF! Let sit on the baking sheet in the still-warm oven for 30-45 minutes. (30 minutes for a lightly crisp, light coloured cookie or up to 45 minutes for a crispier, lightly golden cookie). Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies can be eaten right away, but they develop even more flavour as they sit, so don't hesitate to make ahead.
Notes
Unsalted butter will produce the best results and is recommended. Look for high-fat (84%) butter, European-style butter or something like a Kerrygold. The best butter you can find! Salted butter will work, but omit the added salt in the dough.
If by chance your dough has turned out more moist than shown here, it may be due to your butter having more moisture in it. As long as it isn't too moist (sticky), it will be fine. If your dough is sticky, you have likely not added enough flour (perhaps due to how you measured it). I would suggest adding a bit more flour, as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky.Finally, if your dough doesn't clump at all (it's too dry), you have probably added too much flour. Again, it's probably due to how you measured the flour. I always recommend measuring flour using the stir, spoon and level method, for best results. To correct a too dry mixture, add a bit of water, a teaspoon at a time, until the dough clumps, as shown.
Be sure to read the notes above, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!