How to make the perfect shortbread cookies and the common mistakes to avoid (2024)

Salt is key

It may seem counterintuitive, but a good pinch of salt is one of the most important parts of a good shortbread. The richness from the butter needs a salty hit to amplify the flavour. I like to scatter demerara sugar and a pinch of sea salt flakes on mine as they go into the oven. If I am making a large batch for a gift, I will roll the shortbread into a sausage and chill for an hour before baking. I will paint the dough sausage with whisked egg white and roll it in demerara and sea salt and then slice it into discs for baking.

Rice flour or not to rice flour?

Some recipes for shortbread cookies call for rice flour in order to achieve an extra crisp texture, but in my opinion, it is not an essential component. Rice flour certainly adds a light crisp texture to the result, but it loses some of the tender, crumbly mouthfeel we love so much.

Don't overwork

The key with shortbread is not to overhandle it. Make the dough exactly as instructed, but don't mess around making shapes or over rolling the dough - you will end up with delicious but tough biscuits. Stretching and pulling the dough activates the gluten in the flour, making chewy cookies and not crisp ones.

Once you've mastered the recipe, experiment

This recipe is a brilliant basic biscuit recipe that will take on most flavours really well. The zest of citrus fruit, some dried fruit or chunks of dark chocolate are always a good way to start. If you are adding items like chocolate or nuts that will change the texture of the cookie, it's always good to chill your dough before you bake it to avoid too much spreading. If you do chill it, add an extra three or four minutes to the cooking time.

Never let it brown

Shortbread should never be brown - if it gets to that stage, your cookies are overdone. The best rule to follow with shortbread is to whip it out as the corners begin to take on a very light caramel tinge. Allow them to cool and firm up on the tray.