Sometimes less really is more. This beautifully straightforward recipe pays homage to our most important food group: butter. Whether you opt for the classic shortbread or our upgraded browned butter biscuits, they will surely impress any ill-intentioned boss or anyone else in need of some old-fashioned buttering-up.
Ingredients
Easy Shortbread Biscuit Ingredients:
8 oz unsalted butter, very soft + more for greasing
½ tsp kosher salt
3.5 oz granulated sugar
12 oz all purpose-flour
Improved Shortbread Biscuit Ingredients:
5 oz unsalted butter, very soft + more for greasing
As needed demerara sugar
2 oz browned butter, soft (see recipe below)
¾ tsp kosher salt
5 oz toasted sugar (see recipe below)
9.5 oz all purpose flour
2 oz cornstarch
Toasted Sugar Ingredients:
Inspired by: Stella Park for Serious Eats
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/05/dry-toasted-sugar-granulated-caramel-recipe.html
4 cups white granulated sugar
Browned Butter Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
Method
Serves: 4-6
Easy Shortbread Biscuit Method:
Brush a 6 x 10 (1/8 sheet) rimmed baking sheet with a light coating of soft butter. Preheat the oven to 300 °F.
Combine the butter, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Add the flour and combine with a spatula or your hands until a homogeneous crumbly dough forms.
Gently press the dough into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the dough for 1 - 1.5 hours, just until the top is set, the dough should still be fairly pale.
Allow the shortbread to cool for 10-15 minutes.
While still warm, cut the cookies to the desired size using a thin knife.
Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, serve with your choice of warm beverage or cover in plastic wrap. The cookies can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Improved Shortbread Biscuit Method:
Brush a 6 x 10 (1/8 sheet) rimmed baking sheet with a light coating of soft butter. Add 1-2 tablespoons of demerara sugar and tilt the pan until it is well coated.
Preheat the oven to 300 °F.
Combine butter, browned butter, salt, and toasted sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix well for 2-3 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the flour and cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk well to combine.
Add half of the dry ingredients and continue mixing the ingredients for 30 seconds. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until a crumbly dough forms.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and gently press it into the sides and corners of the tray.
Top the shortbread with a generous sprinkling of more demerara sugar.
Bake for 1 - 1.5 hours or until the top is set and has become lightly golden.
Allow the shortbread to cool for 10-15 minutes.
While still warm, cut the cookies to the desired size using a thin knife.
Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for a minimum of 4 hours or up to overnight.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, serve with your choice of warm beverage or cover in plastic wrap. The cookies can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Toasted Sugar Method:
Add the sugar to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Roast at 300°F for 2-3 hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes until light golden in color.
Let cool for 1 hour before using. If the sugar has clumped and/or hardened during the cooling process, you can add the sugar to a food processor or blender to break up the large chunks.
Browned Butter Method:
Add the butter to a small saucepan.
Melt over medium-high heat.
Once the butter is completely liquid and begins to bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking until the milk solids turn brown. Make sure the stir the butter periodically to make sure you don’t burn the solids.
Transfer the browned butter to a heat safe vessel and allow to cool. Add 1 ice cube to prevent the solids from browning any further.