Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe Perfectly crumbly, irresistibly buttery and wonderfully delicious, Scottish Shortbread has been a year-round favorite treat for centuries!
Shortbread is as basic and simple as a cookie (biscuit) can get. But it’s also divinely delicious. And for that reason shortbread has been a favorite throughout the UK for hundreds of years.
The origin of shortbread goes back to somewhere around the 12th century when it was originally made from leftover bread-making dough that was left to dry out and harden into “biscuit bread.” Over time butter replaced the yeast and biscuit bread evolved into shortbread. The term “short” refers to the crumbly texture from the large quantity of butter. Butter was a luxury item and so shortbread was enjoyed only on special occasions and, of course, by the nobles and royals.
The more refined version of shortbread as we know it today is attributed to Scotland, in particular to Mary, Queen of Scots in the 16th century. She was particularly fond of what was known as Petticoat Tails, which was a thin shortbread baked in a large circle and cut into triangular segments. In her day the shortbread was commonly flavored with caraway seeds, which were all the rage in British baking for several centuries. In fact, the earliest published shortbread recipes from the 18th century were more elaborate than the standard shortbread today: They were baked with candied citrus peels and garnished with caraway comfits.
Traditionally Scottish shortbread is baked in either a rectangular or square slab and cut into fingers, as individual round biscuits, or in one large circle and cut into triangles. But you can cut them any shape you like and also use cookie stamps. I have and often use these cookie stamps, these ones, and these ones and love them all – excellent quality.
From our family vacation to Scotland last summer: Eilean Donan Castle
From our family vacation to Scotland last summer: Eilean Donan Castle
I’ve read a few claims that “traditional” Scottish shortbread is made with farola: “Scottish Shortbread is traditionally made with farola, a free-flowing cream coloured and fine granular powder or flour milled from durum wheat.” But the oldest recipes I’ve researched do not, so this “tradition” may be a later/more contemporary one.
We’re making Scottish shortbread the traditional way with just 3 ingredients: Flour, Sugar and Butter. Well, and a tiny pinch of salt, too. Nothing else is needed, no fancy ingredients, no flavor enhancers. The key to a good Scottish shortbread is the quality of the butter. That is what flavors the shortbread and the shortbread is only as good as the butter.
That said, shortbread is also incredible if you want to add things like homemade candied ginger, homemade candied citrus peels, dried cranberries, rosemary, and anything else your imagination inspires you to try.
From our family vacation to Scotland last summer: View of Eilean Donan Castle from our vacation cottage.
Another key is using caster sugar. Not regular granulated sugar. Not powdered sugar. Caster sugar is very fine granulated sugar. Caster sugar is commonly used in British baking and it’s an all-around smarter choice than granulated. The reason is that the sugar crystals in granulated sugar are much larger and take longer to dissolve during baking and may not dissolve completely. Caster sugar dissolves more rapidly leaving a finer texture to the baked good.
Shortbread is very simple, very easy to make and once you’ve made it yourself there will be no need to buy it again!
Before we get started, if you want to take your shortbread to the next several flavor levels, try our traditional Scottish Millionaire’s Shortbread. With layers of shortbread, caramel and chocolate it is the ultimate indulgence!
Traditional Scottish Shortbread Recipe
Let’s get started!
You can either buy caster sugar (it’s overpriced) or make you’re own, which is what I do. Super easy: Just put the sugar in a blender or coffee/spice grinder and pulse until it’s very fine.
Place the caster sugar, flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it’s combined and looks like coarse breadcrumbs but is soft and pliable and comes together in a dough when you press it together between your fingers. If it’s too dry and crumbly it needs to be pulsed a bit longer.
At this point stir in any add-ins if using (candied ginger, candied citrus peel, herbs, nuts, etc.)
Pour the mixture into a greased 8×8 inch (shortbread roughly 3/4 inch thick) or a 9×9 inch (shortbread about 1/2 inch thick) baking pan. You can also use a round cake pan. Use your fingers and hands to firmly press down the mixture.
Optional: Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork, creating rows. Some people run a knife between each row of fork tines to make cutting the shortbread easier after it’s baked. That’s optional, too.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the shortbread on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until light golden and firm. Let cool. Cut and serve.
Store the shortbread in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Its flavor and texture improves over time.
Enjoy!
© Jiri Hera | Dreamstime
For more delicious British treats try our:
- Treacle Tart
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Spotted Dick
- Eccles Cakes
- Yorkshire Parkin
- Bara Brith (Welsh Tea Bread)
- Barmbrack (Irish Tea Bread)
- Mincemeat
- Mincemeat Pie
- Lemon Curd
- Victoria Sponge Cake
And learn how to make your own Golden Syrup!
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Traditional Scottish Shortbread
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 sticks (230 grams) quality unsalted butter , cubed and softened at room temperature (the better the butter, the better the shortbread)
- 1/2 cup (120 grams) caster sugar (or pulse granulated sugar in a blender until very fine. Do NOT use powdered sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Optional Add-Ins:
- Homemade Candied Ginger (click link for recipe)
- Homemade Candied Citrus Peel (click link for recipe)
- Other options include nuts, fresh herbs, dried cranberries, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 8x8 or 9x9 inch square baking pan. You can also use a round cake can and cut the shortbread into triangles.
- Place the caster sugar, flour, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it's combined and looks like coarse breadcrumbs but is soft and pliable and comes together in a dough when you press it together between your fingers. If it's too dry and crumbly it needs to be pulsed a bit longer. (If using any add-ins, stir them in at this point.)Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan. Use your fingers and hands to firmly press down the mixture. Note: If the mixture is too dry to work with, including pricking with a fork (see below), then it was not pulsed long enough in the food processor. Optional: Prick the shortbread with the tines of a fork, creating rows. Some people also like run a knife between each row of fork tines to make cutting the shortbread easier after it's baked.
- Place the shortbread on the middle rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until light golden and firm. Let cool. Cut and serve.Store the shortbread in an airtight container for up to several weeks. Its flavor and texture improves over time.
Nutrition
Lindsay Brown says
Great, simple recipe! I also ground up candied lemon and orange slices that I bought in Rome at the Fiori Market. (About 1/3 cup). Deliciozo!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Perfect, Lindsay, thanks so much for the feedback!
Denverbaker says
Excellent shortbread! I love that it comes together in a food processor. My kitchen is cold, so the butter was about 62 degrees. I cubed the butter as directed and processed until the dough hung together, and it worked like a charm. I followed the suggestion to use a plastic wrap cover when pressing the dough into the pan, which worked great, I used superfine sugar, added 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon because I love cinnamon. I baked it 30 minutes in a 9×9 pan. Though it was golden brown, it was still a touch undone, so next time I’ll bake it 35 minutes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Denverbaker, thanks so much!
Fran says
I make this recipe all the time now,I have got adventurous and add a layer of homemade fig jam in the middle with a generous shortbread topping and is absolutely fab,some in baking now,next time I’m going to add homemade stem ginger chopped into to the shortbread yummy. Than you .
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s terrific, Fran, thanks for the feedback! It’s going to be fabulous with the candied ginger!
Lee Roman says
Hello Kimberly,
My grandmother came to America in the late 1800s for the first time from Scotland. She always taught me that the Scottish Shortbread was made of equal parts of Flour, Sugar and Butter. Of course, they weighed their ingredients in those days.
I don’t understand the difficulty some of the folks are having with your recipe. It is terrific.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Lee! It’s essential to get the consistency right when mixing the shortbread dough which just takes a little attention and for anyone who’s never made it before it can be hard to know what to expect. It’s well worth it to get it right though because Scottish shortbread is an absolute joy!
Michelle says
Really easy and really tasty. If using the 8×8 pan be sure to let it bake long enough or the shortbread will not be crisp. I ahve made shortbread before but mixing it in a food processor made it so quick. I especially appreciate the hint at making homemade caster surgar…it made a nice difference in the final product. Almost as good as some of the homemade bread we had during our time in Scotland.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Michelle, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Mike says
No one in Scotland would ever add ginger or citrus peel to shortbread.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Well that’s just not correct, Mike, because I have bought both ginger and citrus peel shortbread in Scotland on multiple occasions.
Ross says
Well Mike, I’m from Scotland, and I’m just about to try this exact recipe with some added rose petals and vanilla bean extract… Not sure how that’s any different really.
Recipes are not always meant to be followed to the letter, cooking is an art, not a science; unless you’re talking about ingredients that need to be together in specific quantities to achieve a certain texture (like plain flour and bicarb to get self raising), and even then, there’s some movement. If everyone followed recipes to the letter, there would be no innovation and food would be boring.
Desi K says
Correction to my last comment:
I realized that in my feedback I keep saying biscuit, but I meant shortbread (I realized that this might be confusing for people in the USA since a biscuit in something else oops!)… it’s the way it translates in my head from French, my apologies!
Again, thank you for the recipe!
Desi K says
It is not easy to make shortbread cookies, scones, etc… and this recipe is very good. I personally use my hands when mixing, and keep in mind that the butter MUST be room temperature and cubed. If you failed at this recipe, just try again, because there is no fault in it. Also, these recipes, as easy as they seem, call for extreme patience. When I make them, I line the pan with parchment paper so that it is easy to take them out of the pan, and I pre-cut then before baking so that it is easier to cut once they are done. As someone who has travelled to Scotland (and the UK in general many times), the recipe is on point. It is also not the first time I have seen this specific recipe (a popular local pâtisserie here uses this same recipe). If you expected something else out of the recipe, then hate to break it to you, but you probably weren’t thinking of the same treat (the scones and biscuits made in North America are NOT the same… :/)
I made this recipe for a party (took the chance and didn’t even test them out prior lol) and people loved them :)… I only told them they were homemade after they started asking me where I got them from. I wish I could add photos of the process and finished product, but it doesn’t seem like I can.
Anyways, if you get this recipe wrong, you are doing something wrong.. or it could even be that the butter you are using is not quality, your oven is weak… again these types of treats are NOT easy to make, so if you have made them in the past with a different recipe and found them easy to make…. you probably weren’t making scottish biscuits..
Thank you for the recipe, love it :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much for the detailed insights and feedback, Desi! Yes, you are correct on every point :)
annie Walker says
Disappointed I didn’t read the comments before trying the recipe. Looking at Google conversions of sticks of butter to grams,that may be the issue. Compared to other recipes, this one has double the amount of butter.
Shary says
To the people who have complained that the recipe doesn’t work, I’m sorry but the fault lies with YOU. You are doing something wrong. Possibly you aren’t letting your butter soften sufficiently, or you aren’t processing the mixture long enough. It HAS to start clumping together in the processor or it will be too dry to work with. Then it must be pressed rather firmly into the lightly buttered pan. (Use the residue on the butter wrapper to butter the pan.) I usually don’t bother pricking with a fork. It isn’t necessary. Also, if you use salted butter, then you don’t need to add additional salt.
I’ve made this exact recipe numerous times in my food processor, and it NEVER fails. It comes together very quickly and can be embellished in any number of ways. I like to pulse chopped walnuts with the sugar until finely ground, and then I often drizzle the cooked and cooled shortbread with melted chocolate thinned with a little heavy cream. Along with a cup of tea or coffee, it’s a great go-to for guests.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Shary, I’m happy you’ve made multiple successful batches!
simon says
Total fail of the recipe…i got 1 misshaped huge pile of baked dough, not even similar to shortbread.. would give it 0 stars if possible..
RAJIV BHAGI says
No, to the recipe
The shortbread are totally mishaped. The dough just melted and the butter was running out the form. I followed the recipe. Had to refrigerate for 30 min before putting in the oven and still it is not good and not fully cooked even after 1 & 1/2 hrs of baking
And it’s not the first time I made shortbread, just wanted to try yours.It was just waste of time.
Daniela says
Hi Kimberly
My shortbread are totally mishaped. The dough just melted and the butter was running out the form. I followed the recipe. And it’s not the first time I made shortbread, just wanted to try yours. So no give aways for my boys, waste of time and money. Just sad.
Lyn Edwards says
Do I need to add baking powder to the recipe, or just use the all purpose (or plain flour)?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lyn, no baking powder, just flour. There are no “rising” agents in shortbread.
Lyn Edwards says
Thanks for your help Kimberly, I will get baking :)
Alastair says
As a writer, I believe ingredients are not subject to copyright in s recipe, only method (instructions) Correct me if I’m wrong please. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s correct, Alastair. And of course photos are likewise subject to copyright in addition to the recipe instructions.
Tammy Kirby says
Hi I love this recipe and wonder if I might have permission to put it in my newsletter? I am a Historical Romance author and would like to share it with my subscribers. If you agree how would you like me to credit you for the original recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tammy, you can use the photo credited to The Daring Gourmet with a link to the recipe on my site but I would ask that you not post the recipe in full. Thank you for understanding and thank you for sharing my site with your readers.
Moxie says
I made these today and the are excellent. My grandparents were Scottish and Welsh, and sadly, I no longer have my grandmothers recipe for her “Lorna Doone” shortbread cookies. These cookies are as close as it gets. Delicious. Too many recipes call for things like vanilla or almond extract, but I loved this one because it’s got a true buttery flavor. I ground my granulated sugar in the food processor, and used unsalted butter. My food processor is only a 3 cup, so I processed the dough in two batches and mixed them together. I used a sheet of saran wrap on top of the dough to press it into the pan nice neat. I took great pains to get the fork-holes nice and even, but in the end it didn’t matter, as they all closed up in baking! Possibly because it’s a hot day and my butter was really quite soft. But no one would notice but me. Highly recommend this recipe. Thank you for posting!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Moxie, I’m so glad you enjoyed them and appreciate the feedback!
Kari says
I love Walkers shortbread but this recipe is divine!!! I made as directed, ground up my own sugar, processed long enough & had no problems poking the top or cutting when cooled. Thank you for this simple, delicious, amazing recipe!!! I did melt chocolate on top, so good! I can’t wait to try the Millionaire shortbread. That will be lethal😉
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Kari, thank you! Lethal is the perfect word for it, haha – dangerous but SO good! :)
Hugh says
You add NOTHING to shortbread…if you put anything else in, it’s just a ‘cookie”…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I think Scotland’s most famous shortbread manufacturer, Walkers, would beg to differ, Hugh :)
David says
Lose the food processor and knead with your hands. Also, store in a cookie tin in a dark, cool dry place for at least a month. Helps if you live in a cooler climate like Scotland or Canada. Only then does it take on the special texture of authentic shortbread, not just a butter cookie. My mother would have to hide it well but she would start Christmas cooking in October or early November.
Linda says
Love! Made it for our Scottish themed dinner. (We’ve been having international themed dinners to make things a bit more fun) and not only are they delicious, they are easy!
Used regular butter since we avoid added shopping and your tip for creating superfine (caster sugar) worked well. I did add a few tablespoons of flour to the sugar when I whirred it in the food processor.
Thank you so much for this.
Stay safe and healthy.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Linda, thank you! And I love the idea of your themed dinners, so fun! :)
Shary says
These shortbread cookies are super easy and really delicious. I followed the recipe exactly as written and had no problem with pricking the dough or slicing the cookies. The baked cookies lift out of the pan easily and are tender and delectably crumbly. They are wonderful plain but I may drizzle some melted chocolate over some of them when they’re cool. Eat them with a plate under your chin or the crumbs will be all over you!
For me, the secret was to pulse the ingredients until they just begin to clump together. Then it’s very easy to pack the dough into your pan. If you don’t pulse the dough long enough you’ll have problems.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Shary, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I just made a batch last week to make Millionaire’s Shortbread for my son’s birthday – that is what he requested as his birthday “cake”, he’s obsessed with the stuff :)
Bill Frazier says
As I am waiting this to come out of the oven I discover I have the same problem as several others have had. I tried using a fork to punch the holes in the top but it just pulls the pastry up when I lift the fork. Same with trying to cut with a knife. I’m gonna’ try to cut once it comes out of the oven. The mixture was very crumbly and I had measured all ingredients very carefully. …. It just came out of the oven and cutting and poking holes was easy. Okay, for now just waiting until it cools enough to remove from the baking dish. Looks good~! …. Too crumbly to hold together. I have it back in the oven to see if it will firm up…. At this point I’m thinking the butter needs to be increased… They did firm up when totally cooled…. Tasting… Excellent~! next time I will reduce the sugar and increase the butter and the baking time due to my oven always seems slow. Thank you.
Gary Hinman says
Thank you! I made this recipe yesterday and when I tasted one it brought a tear to my eye because they reminded me of the ones my Scottish mom used to make. It brought back some fond memories of waiting very impatiently for the shortbread to cool enough so we could have some. Thank you again, this will now be a favorite in our house.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Gary, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Lisa Widner says
Recipe(s) are wonderful, just what I was hoping to find! (I must say, however, that family photos climbing on gravestones is not so attractive, nor appropriate)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Lisa, I hope you enjoy them! (It’s not a gravestone, it’s a monument by the church.)
Jeannie Bain says
Kimberly, what if I used brown sugar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jeannie, brown sugar is the same as white sugar in terms of the large size sugar granules and will result in a grainier-textured shortbread that doesn’t have the same melt-in-your-mouth texture as powdered/confectioner’s sugar will.
Susan says
I couldn’t prick, the fork kept pulling the batter up with it. What did I do wrong? In the oven now.
Mary Holtz says
Hello! How do you adapt this to use the cookie stamps? I have some of the same stamps you mention, and would like to give that a try. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mary, this is a very dry, crumbly dough so I don’t think cookie stamps will be able to make a good impression in the dough. You’ll probably need to increase the butter content.
Karen says
Hello, if you don’t use castor sugar, and you use granulated sugar and grind it down, do you need to change the amount of granulated sugar needed to make the cookies or do you measure the sugar after you grind it down?
Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Great question, Karen. I don’t change the amount because after it’s ground it takes time for the sugar to settle and compact so it will appear like the quantity is more when the weight is still actually the same. Happy baking!
Disne says
Thank you! I was wondering the same thing. I’m looking forward to trying them :-)
Brenda says
Could this dough be rolled out for cut out cookies?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brenda, yes it can be done, but it’s very dry dough and challenging to work with.
P. R. says
This is the best shortbread recipe I have ever tried. I use high quality butter and pulse my sugar so it’s fine as recommended. It’s perfect
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, P.R., thank you!
Tegan says
Hello,just wondering how long these will hold for, as I’m planning on making them to go in Christmas hampers as presents for family and friends.
Hatini Mokhtar says
It make be scotland.
Addie Bambridge says
I’m wondering why my shortbread comes out super crumbly, unlike those in your photo. And I can’t stick a toothpick in the batter because it sticks to the toothpick. What am I doing wrong?
DAVID WEITZEL says
A TOOTHPICK IS WOOD AS SMOOTH AS IT LOOKS ITS STILL ROUGH WOOD USE A FORK.
Shary says
Addie, you need to go back and reread the directions. They specifically call for softened, room temperature butter. They also state that you didn’t process (pulse) your ingredients long enough if the mixture is too crumbly. If the mixture looks like dry breadcrumbs, it isn’t ready. It should start to clump together in the processor (as is shown in the picture). You don’t want to process it until it turns into a solid ball, but the flour and sugar do need to be thoroughly coated with the butter. Don’t be shy about firmly pressing the mixture into the lightly greased pan, and use a fork to poke the holes, not a toothpick. Wipe off the tines if the dough begins to stick. These tips should help if you make this recipe again.
Addie Bambridge (Ocala, FL) says
Hello – my husband simply loves this recipe. That said, when I make it, it’s a whole lot more crumbly than yours looks in your photo. What am I doing wrong? Is it because I’m using butter right from the fridge because my house a/c is set at 78 degrees (hubby’s choice)? Also, I’ve given up trying to poke holes in it because the batter comes out with the toothpick! Hope you can help
Thanks,
Addie
Judy says
great recipe. simple straightforward and no powdered sugar. I use superfine granulated sugar that I find at the store. works great. I love ginger and citrus in mine as well. Trader Joes sells very nice uncrystallized candied ginger and candied orange and lemon slices. I simply cut them up into small pieces and fold them into whatever I am baking that I think needs it. (Or actually, my hubby does the snipping for me!). Thanks so much. I have enjoyed your site very much, and made a few of your recipes. This one I baked in the micro, as I do not have an oven at this time. I simply cut the recipe in half, then bake in a 2-bite cupcake silicone mold that I have. Thanks so much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Judy, and I really appreciate your kind words – thank you! :)
Theresa says
Perfection! So delicious and only three ingredients!! One question – could you substitute gluten free baking flour for the regular flour??
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Theresa! Theoretically you can substitute GF flour for regular flour but I haven’t tried this shortbread with GF flour so I can’t really comment. Perhaps one of our readers can chime in.
Ify says
This is definitely a 5 stars. tastes so rich like the Scottish shortbread. Im a lover of shortbread biscuit and so grateful with this awesome recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Ify, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
john canepa says
Where did I miss the ingredient measurements for the 2 add’l layers?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi John, this recipe is just for the shortbread. For the “Millionaire’s Shortbread” that has the caramel and chocolate layers see this recipe: https://www.daringgourmet.com/millionaires-shortbread/
Jan Rines says
Kim, would you use european cultured butter like Plugra, or stick to sweet butter (here im Maine, I would use Kate’s)?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jan, either will yield a delicious shortbread. European style butter has a higher milk fat content which tends to create a slightly crisper outcome, which is what you want in a traditional shortbread. But it all comes down to personal preference and I think you’ll be very happy with either choice.
Cam Duncan says
I lost my Mum’s shortbread recipe passed down since the 1800’s. This one is pretty close.
Sandra says
It looks really delish! I can’t wait to give it a try!
Peter Shaw says
I’d like to try this recipe but what the heck is a Stick of butter? Not a British measure that I’ve ever heard of.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Peter, you’ll need 8 ounces of butter, or 226 grams.
Anonymous says
I believe 1 stick is equal to 1/4 lb. Comes 4 to a box in States.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Correct, one stick of butter in the U.S. is roughly 113 grams or 4 ounces.
Emily Duffy says
Kimberly, thx for a delicious recipe! Question: I was in Scotland a few years ago. We stopped for cookies/tea at a bake sale of homemade treats. I didn’t have the opportunity to talk w the baker, but my favorite cookie, best described as a sandy textured, toasted coconut center covered in chocolate. Incredible! Does that sound like any scottish recipe you know? Would love to reproduce. Don’t know what it’s called. Thx much
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Emily! The sandy texture sounds like it was probably shortbread. I’ve had shortbread cookies where half is dipped in chocolate and then sprinkled with toasted coconut before it dries but I haven’t had any with a coconut center. You may be able to replicate the flavor, or at least achieve something similar, by following what I described. Use this recipe to make shortbread cookies (either cut the shortbread out in rounds with cookie cutters or make them into bars/fingers), once cooled dip half of the cookie in chocolate, sprinkle with toasted coconut and let set. (I’d use sweetened desiccated coconut and dry-toast it in a dry pan until golden.)
Faye says
These sound like coconut macaroons to me
http s://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1783633/coconut-macaroons
Aleksa says
Wonderful recipe, letting the flavour of the ingredients shine through. Also hello first time poster waves enthusiastically.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Aleksa, thank you!
akapace says
What a perfect version of this. I do not have a food processor and was able to achieve a great crumb blending this by hand ( similar to a biscuit recipe). I was able to make the caster sugar in a nutribullet.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m glad you enjoyed it, akapace, thanks for the feedback!
Carol Bell says
I am born and raised in Scotland and seeing this post and pictures has been a walk down memory lane for me. I have been making shortbread for many years and it is delicious !!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for sharing, Carol. We covered quite a lot of Scotland on this last trip and were blessed with the most exceptional weather and blue skies I’ve experienced in Scotland. It was an unusually warm early summer throughout the UK in general. I lived in England for 7 years and we frequently took trips to Scotland, but this was my first time going with my husband and children and it was such a wonderful trip. Scotland is breathtaking and we’re really looking forward to going back again.
2pots2cook says
Happy to say we enjoyed shortbread in beautiful Scotland and I truly thank you for the recipe; now, I can make it on my own :-)
Sommer says
Can’t wait to give this a try!
Chrissie Baker says
Made these today and they turned out perfect! Love it. Thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Toffeeapple says
Oh dear, I am not going to Scotland this year so I might have to make some…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m sorry you won’t be taking your usual holiday, Toffeeapple, but hope that this homemade shortbread will provide some solace <3 We're visiting the UK again this spring/summer but no Scotland this time for us either. We can commiserate together over a plate of shortbread ;) This time it's England and South Wales. Excited :)
Toffeeapple says
That sounds like a plan. We will be going back to France for a little while, we didn’t get there last year as we had two trips to Scotland. Enjoy your visit.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
France is also on our itinerary for this trip. A quick excursion through Ghent, Brussels and Amsterdam and then a week in Normandy and Brittany. Then back up to England and South Wales for two weeks. Which area of France are you visiting?
Valentina says
Love this shortbread recipe!
Jenn says
These look straight out of a box professional! Loving this scottish shortbread recipe – thank you!
Julie Blanner says
Looks like you had an amazing trip! I can’t wait to make this!
Allyson Zea says
I love this so much! Even my kids like helping me make it!
Dee says
This looks so amazing! Definite must-have with my family
Demeter says
We usually make these around the holidays but maybe I need to add them into our regualar rotation. They’re so good!
Erin says
I love shortbread and this version is delicious!