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Hands serving a tin of scottish shortbread cookies
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4.94 from 46 votes

3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread Cookies

These 3-Ingredient Scottish Shortbread Cookies come from an old family recipe that has been passed down for generations, and they're perfect for holiday baking!
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine European
Keyword Christmas cookies, Christmas shortbread cookies, Scottish shortbread cookies, shortbread cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 20 cookies
Calories 138.6kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set aside.
  • In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, softened butter, and powdered sugar. Mix on medium speed until completely combined and a soft dough forms. The mixture will look dry and crumbly at first, but let the mixer keep running for a few minutes and the dough will eventually form into a soft ball.
  • Roll out dough on a lightly-floured surface (to about ¼-inch thickness, or slightly thicker).
  • Use cookie cutters, biscuit cutters, or a sharp knife to cut out desired shapes. Place shapes on prepared baking sheets. Pierce with a fork.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned.
  • Cool on a wire rack.

Video

Notes

  • Remember to soften the butter at room temperature. Cold butter will not blend easily into the other ingredients, so I like to leave the butter on my counter overnight before I plan to make the dough the next day.
  • Use salted butter for the best flavor. If you only have unsalted butter in your kitchen, you'll want to add a pinch of salt to the dough to balance the sweetness and give the cookies a more complex flavor.
  • Keep mixing! The dough will look dry and crumbly at first, but let the mixer continue to run and the dough should come together in a nice, soft ball. It will have the texture of Play-Doh, so it's easy to work with and not too sticky.
  • Pierce the dough with a fork before baking. Poking holes in the top of the shortbread dough allows the heat to evenly penetrate the dessert, which helps the cookies bake evenly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 138.6kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.5g | Protein: 1.4g | Fat: 9.3g | Saturated Fat: 5.8g | Cholesterol: 24.8mg | Sodium: 65.6mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 3g