Walker's Scottish Shortbread Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between a shortbread cookie and a Scottish shortbread cookie? ›

Other shortbreads might vary in texture, with some being softer or more biscuit-like. Shape and Presentation: Scottish shortbread is often formed into rounds or rectangles, and it's common to prick the dough with a fork before baking. Other shortbreads might come in different shapes or be presented in various ways.

It is only by baking in small batches that we can ensure that classic taste for which Walker's are famed. As it always has been, our shortbread is made using only four ingredients: flour, pure creamery butter, sugar and salt.

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts plain wheat flour. Shortbread does not contain any leavening, such as baking powder or baking soda.

Step 3: The Secret to the Absolute Best Shortbread

After shaping the cookies, don't rush to the oven! Instead, chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so (overnight is OK, too). A short stay in the fridge will firm up the cookies and solidify the butter. This will help keep them from spreading too much.

Adding hard-boiled egg yolks to a basic shortbread recipe makes cookies more tender with the perfect buttery-soft texture. The addition is a sure-fire way to improve the texture of your cookies, but perhaps not always worth the extra time and effort.

Roll or pat the dough onto a cookie sheet so that it's 3/4″ thick. Bake at 300F for about 1 hour until pale brown. While still warm, cut into 3/4″ x 2″ fingers. The best brand in my neck of the woods is Kerry Gold, which has a higher percentage of butterfat and richer flavor than most other brands.

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

Is butter or margarine better for shortbread? ›

Shortbread relies on really good-quality unsalted butter for its flavour, so don't skimp on this and never use margarine!

ARE ALL THE PRODUCTS MADE IN SCOTLAND? Yes, everything is baked in the Scottish Highlands, either in our home village of Aberlour, or 16 miles away in a small town called Elgin.

Unsalted butter for best results

Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

Samoas are now “Caramel deLites.” Do-si-dos are “Peanut Butter Sandwiches.” Tagalongs are “Peanut Butter Cookies” and Trefoils are “Shortbreads.” But how are we going to move cookies with dull names like “Peanut Butter Patties?” And won't we get tired of explaining to customers what happened with the names?

Walker's Shortbread has a delicious all-butter taste unlike any other. Perfect accompaniment to hot or iced tea, coffee, and ice cream.

There are 3 shapes: fingers, petticoat tails, and rounds

Meet the 3 shortbread shapes: petticoat tails, rounds, and fingers (the most popular type).

Beautiful Scottish shortbread 'petticoat tails' baked in a mold and sprinkled with sugar for a classic holiday cookie. Scottish shortbread is a classic Scottish biscuit made with 3 ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour! This simple molded shortbread is the perfect holiday gift.

Are Danish butter cookies the same as shortbread cookies? Both shortbread cookies and Danish butter cookies are very similar in texture, taste and ingredients used. Like Danish butter cookies, shortbread cookies use a good amount of butter, but normally do not use a leavener, like egg or baking powder.

Compared to butter cookies, shortbread uses a higher ratio of butter to flour, and is baked at a lower temperature. This gives it its signature delicate consistency that crumbles in the mouth when bitten. It's also often baked in a pan and cut up after baking, rather than being cut into shapes before baking.