Soft Chewy Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowl
- 1 hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Measuring cups set
- 1 Measuring spoons set
- 2 Baking sheet
- 2 parchment paper sheet
- 1 wire cooling rack
- 1 Cookie scoop 1.5 tablespoon
- 1 Rolling Pin optional
- 1 Sieve for confectioners’ sugar
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract optional
- 2 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoon milk room temperature
- 2 tablespoon coarse sugar optional for rolling
Instructions
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl beat softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms.
- Mix in the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is smooth, soft, and scoopable but not sticky.
- Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes to help prevent spreading.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) near the end of chilling.
- Scoop 1.5-tablespoon portions of dough, roll into balls, and, if desired, roll lightly in coarse sugar.
- Arrange dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared sheets and gently flatten to about 1/2 inch thick with your palm or the bottom of a glass.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10–12 minutes until edges are set and bottoms are pale golden but tops remain light.
- Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For soft, chewy shortbread, avoid overmixing after adding flour to keep gluten development low, and measure flour by spooning and leveling to prevent a dry dough; if dough seems crumbly, add an extra teaspoon of milk at a time until it just holds together, and if it seems too soft, chill longer to control spread. Bake until just set without browning on top to maintain chew, and store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread or piece of apple for moisture, or freeze dough balls for up to 2 months and bake from frozen adding 1–2 minutes to the cook time.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!