I recently made shortbread cookies for my church bazaar and since then people have asked for my recipe. I’m sharing it with them, and with you.
Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread takes practice and a bit of fuss, but it’s worth it.
Smith shortbread cookies
- 1 cup butter (It must be butter.)
- 1/3 cup instant-dissolving sugar (It must be instant-dissolving sugar, sometimes called fine fruit sugar.)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla (If possible, use white vanilla to keep the cookies looking bright.)
- 2-1/2 cups cake and pastry flour, sifted (I am Canadian. The flour where you live might be different, and you might need more or less.)
- Beat butter until light and fluffy, at least 2 minutes.
- Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition.
- Add vanilla.
- Add flour 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition.
- Form into a ball and pat the outside with extra flour.
- Roll on a well-floured surface to ¼ inch thickness, adding extra flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Cut using cookie cutters.
- Bake at 300° F on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets for 12 to 5 minutes.
- Makes approximately 2 ½ to 3 dozen average-sized cookies.
Shortbread tips
- No substitutes!
- Don’t bake for too long. I bake them until the edges are just starting to brown.
- To ice them, I mix together icing sugar, water and vanilla. (Use white vanilla for white icing.) I never measure this, so I can’t give you quantities. Do it until it feels right!
