Shortbread cookies for tea time
Total time commitment: 90 minutes
Makes: 16 cookies
Downloadable recipe card: Here
There is something magical about a recipe that requires just a handful of ingredients and somehow tastes like pure comfort. Shortbread cookies are one of those recipes.
Made with little more than butter, sugar, flour, and salt, these cookies prove that simple ingredients, when treated well, can become something extraordinary. They are rich, buttery, and just sweet enough, making them perfect alongside a cup of tea, a morning coffee, or shared around a kitchen table with people you love.
Much like the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie—one time, one meeting—these cookies remind me that the smallest moments are often the ones we remember most.
What You'll Need
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I use Kerrygold!)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
How to Make
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
First, let’s make our dough mix.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy. Add the flour and salt. Mix just until a dough forms. Be careful not to overmix.
Now let’s get our cookies pressed and ready for prime time.
Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and prick the surface all over with a fork.
Finally, bake, cool, and enjoy!
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Allow the shortbread to cool for about 10 minutes, then cut into rectangles or squares while still warm. Let cool completely before serving.
Notes:
Use the best butter you can find. Since butter is the star of the show, quality matters.
Chilling the dough before baking helps create that signature dense, crumbly texture.
For a more traditional Scottish shortbread, replace ½ cup of the flour with rice flour.
These cookies keep beautifully in an airtight container for up to a week, though they rarely last that long in our house.
These are the perfect treat for the holidays to bring to neighbors or plop down on the dessert table :)
