Shortbread Squares
If you like shortbread these are simple, easy, and fun to make. The dough takes just 5 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake. The perfect snack with a cup of chai.
A short-bread cookie is always an addition to my Christmas platter. Why? I like to add a neutral cookie among all the sweet and Christmasy stuff. And often, I will notice that people tend to enjoy these more.
These are not very sweet and have that wonderful crumbly texture that just melts in your mouth. They are also very versatile. For example, you can add some nuts, chocolate chips, orange zest. You can even color these will edible food colors to create colorful variations of these.
The whole thing bakes in about 30 minutes. These are actually done while they are fairly white. So if you want them white just bake them for less time. I do like the nutty flavor when caramelized to a light golden.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-flour purpose – plain regular flour is all you need for this recipe. You can also use whole wheat flour but the taste and texture is different.
- Sugar – I am using brown sugar but you can use white sugar which gives a white shortbread recipe.
- Rice flour – gives the cookies are nice crisp melt in the mouth texture.
You may also like
- Nankaties – White Cookies
- Date Roll Cookies
- Navries – Karangi
- White or Chocolate short bread cookies
- Shortbread stamped cookies
- Custard cookies
- Christmas sweets
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Equipment /Tools
- 9 x 9 square baking pan
- Baking tray
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter room temperature, unsalted
- 1 cup (200 g) Brown sugar granulated
- 1½ cup (190 g) All-purpose flour (maida)
- ¼ cup (40 g) Rice flour
- ¼ tsp Baking powder
- ⅛ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp Rose extract
- 2 drop Almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 165°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3
- Prepare a 9 x 9 square baking pan or 9 x 13 sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can also do this by hand with just a bowl and whisk/spatula.Pro tip – cream until the sugar has almost dissolved otherwise the shortbread will be gritty.
- Next, add the flour, rice, flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine well. Add the almond, vanilla, and rose extract. Combine well. Don't overmix the dough. Pro tip – we don't want to activate the gluten in our dough so don't over mix otherwise it will be soft and chewy
- Press the dough in the prepared baking pan. Smooth the top as much a possible with the back of a spoon. Prick holes with the tings of a fork. Then score the lines to mark squares.Pro tip – the holes will prevent the shortbread from puffing up.
- Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then use a knife to cut across the same lines you created before baking to separate the squares
- Cool completely before you store in an airtight container. These will keep for a week if they last that long.
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Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
