4-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies -

I was craving a tasty, buttery shortbread cookie with my afternoon cup of coffee the other day. I was thinking back to when my sister and I would come home from school and mom would have warm cookies right out of the oven waiting for us when the school bus dropped us off. So, of course I reached out and picked her brain for the recipe! And a 4-ingredient recipe sounded even better than I had hoped! It’s a great recipe to bake with your kids and grandkids and ready in no time at all!

Moms and Recipes

Now, I’m not sure about your moms, but with mine, recipes are hit and miss. I have pictures in my head of old, tattered recipe cards, slightly tinged with script I couldn’t yet read. I remember recipe books, index boxes, various sorts around the kitchen. Yet as I got older, when I’d ask about recipes she’d always say she just did it by memory. So where did those recipes go? I sure wish I had them. Even if not to try out, but for the nostalgia. To create images, or something crafty, I suppose. (but sometimes, for the recipes themselves, as they don’t always turn out tasting the way I remember! Luckily, this was a a 4-ingredient recipe that sounded easy to whip up.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

Ingredients for 4-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mix your sugar and softened butter with hand mixer until it becomes creamy and almost fluffy in consistency.
Add vanilla extract and 1 cup of flour. Continue to mix with hand mixer.
Add in 2nd cup of flour and mix by hand until blended well. I opt to use a spatula.
Place dough in fridge for 10-15 minutes. (see below for tips)
Gently roll out portions of dough to roughly 1/2 inch and use your favorite cookie cutter. Light flouring on the surface and rolling pin may be necessary.
Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Check at 8-10 minutes and watch for light golden brown coloring.
Cool before serving.

Dough Preparation Tips

If you haven’t make shortbread cookies before, the dough can be a little finicky. There are a few tips I can offer to keep your frustration level low. Or at least, they worked for me once I was clued in! As mentioned in the preparation, I chill my dough for roughly 10-15 minutes after mixing. This makes the dough a bit easier to work with when rolling, cutting out, and especially when lifting and transferring to your cookie sheet. You’ll want to be careful not to chill for too long tho. Shortbread dough can also be a bit crumbly and if it’s chilled too long, you’ll see it crumble quite a bit upon rolling. See what I mean about being finkicky?

I also sprinkle a little flour on my surface and rolling pin every so often as needed. You notice your dough starting to warm and stick. Just be mindful of the amount you use and you should be fine!

I’d also suggest using a light hand when rolling. You’ll see fairly quickly how much pressure you’ll need and it doesn’t take much, as it will stick to your rolling pin pretty easily. A little pressure is all you’ll need.