Classic Scottish Shortbread for your Christmas Cookie Tray (2024)

Scottish Shortbread History

Once considered a festive treat at Christmas, the Scots now love their shortbread year-round. “The first shortbread recipe appeared in a Scottish cookbook dated 1736; early formulas called for yeast, but by 1850 most were utilizing only butter, flour, and sugar, combined in a ratio bakers still use.”

Mildly sweet, melt-in-your-mouth flaky, easy to make, improves as it ages — a welcome accompaniment to any cookie tray, but for me, it’s absolutely perfect with a cup of tea.

If you love shortbread as much as we do… you’re in good company. Queen Victoria also loved shortbreadand is said to have preferred it seasoned with salt.

Scottish Shortbread Ingredients

• Unsalted butter
• Sugar (superfine is best but granulated works too)
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• All-purpose flour

How to Make Classic Scottish Shortbread

There are several ways to make this Scottish Shortbread recipe. The dough fits easily into a 13″ x 9″ baking pan which I score before baking.

It’s also perfect for using shortbread molds, which I often make in a snowflake mold.

Or, I also love to shape the shortbread into petticoat tails, which are rounded discs with crimped or lined edges. But any way you shape them, they are a treat everyone will love.

Step 1: Make the Dough

Preheat the oven to 275°F and spray your baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper, which is my preferred method.

Cream the butter in a stand mixer until it is light and fluffy — about 3 minutes. Add sugar and continue to cream until the sugar is completely incorporated. Add salt and vanilla and stir to combine.

Add the flour to the butter mixture and the dough comes together and is just combined.

Step 2: Shape the Dough

Press dough into a prepared pan, mold, or shape on a parchment-lined baking sheet. See notes below on shaping.

Step 3: Bake the Shortbread Cookies

Bake shortbread in a 275° oven for 60 – 75 minutes or until evenly pale golden. Cool completely. Use a serrated knife to cut.

Shaping the Shortbread

9×13-inch Pan:

If you are using a 9×13-inch pan, score the dough lengthwise into 9 strips and then cut crosswise into 36, 3-inch strips.

Use the tins of a fork to create a perforated pattern. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if desired.

Round Petticoat Trails on a Sheet Pan:

If you’re shaping the shortbread into discs, divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a circular disc, smooth the top, and round the edges.

Crimp the edges with your fingers or score them with a sharp knife.

Cast Iron Skillet:

A reader recently commented that her Scottish neighbor always bakes her shortbread in a cast iron skillet. She wondered if there were any changes needed in the recipe to bake it this way.

There are some adjustments needed. This recipe will produce one 10-inch skillet batch.

If you’d like to bake your shortbread in a cast iron skillet, scroll to the very bottom of this post to the recipe card called: “Classic Scottish Shortbread Cookies in a Cast Iron Skillet.”

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