by Allie 27 Comments
If you’re a shortbread lover, then this easy Scotch Shortbread Fingers recipe is for you! Crunchy and golden, this buttery shortbread has just three ingredients: butter, flour, and sugar. It’s the perfect sweet little something alongside a cup of tea.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Not too long ago, I was happily tasked with preparing these delicious and easy Scotch shortbread finger cookies for a dear friend’s daughter’s wedding reception. It was the perfect slightly sweet bite to have alongside the other rich food and the decadent wedding cake. Plus, they’re a cinch to make!
These were a hit at the wedding, so I knew I had to share them with all of you here!
Even better, you only need three ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe — butter, flour, and sugar. That’s it!
Ingredients
It’s true. You only need 3 ingredients to make this homemade shortbread recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 cups of butter (aka two sticks, softened to room temperature)
- 1 cup of white granulated sugar
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour
Additionally, you can garnish these Scotch shortbread fingers with coarse sugar before baking, but that’s totally optional.
How To Make These Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 375°, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Beat the softened butter until creamy with an electric stand mixer.
- Gradually add in the cup of sugar.
- Then, add the flour gently, and mix until mixture is well-combined. The dough will be somewhat crumbly.
- Press dough into parchment lined 11″ X 17″ jelly roll pan (with sides). Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar (if using), and gently press into the dough.
- Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown. Cut into uniform shortbread “fingers” immediately after removing from the oven.
- Enjoy with a cup of tea, some coffee, or a cold glass of milk!
Storage Instructions
Store cooled Scotch shortbread fingers in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the dough to make later. I like to freeze it in the shape of the baking pan for easier transfer later and to just bak from frozen.
Tips for Success
- Use your stand mixer to cream the butter. Then gradually add the sugar, and finally the flour. That’s it for making the dough! So easy.
- Press the dough into a parchment-lined cookie sheet with sides and sprinkle with coarse, sparkly white sugar. Lightly press the coarse sugar into the dough. Then, bake for 18-20 minutes or until it’s just turning golden brown. Remove from the oven and immediately slice into long shortbread “fingers.”
- I was able to get nearly 60, 4″ long shortbread fingers per pan. Both panfuls were baked and cooling on the rack in under an hour!
MORE EASY COOKIE RECIPES
- Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- King Arthur Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans
- Lime Sugared Chewy Ginger Cookies
Print Recipe
Easy Scotch Shortbread Recipe
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time18 minutes mins
Total Time28 minutes mins
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter room temperature
- 1 cup white sugar
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons coarse sparkling white sugar (for sprinkling on top)
- You can use regular white sugar if you can't find the coarse, sparkling white sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.
With electric stand mixer, beat butter until creamy.
Gradually add in 1 cup of sugar.
Add in flour and mix until mixture is well combined (Will be somewhat crumbly.)
Press dough into parchment lined 11" X 17" jelly roll pan (with sides).
Sprinkle with the sparkly, coarse white sugar and gently press into the dough.
Bake at 375° for 18-20 minutes or until just turning golden brown.
(You can also use a 10" X 14" jelly roll pan, and that will take just a little longer to bake, closer to 25 minutes.)
The key is to watch shortbread closely and when it is just turning golden brown, remove from the oven.
Cut into uniform shortbread "fingers" immediately after removing from the oven.
(Shortbread is somewhat crumbly when cool, and so it cuts much better when it's hot from the oven.)
A trick I use to cut the shortbread evenly, is to get out my ruler.
I cut the whole pan in half lengthwise and widthwise.
Then I cut each quadrant in half, and then cut uniform "fingers" from that.
Notes
I wore disposable gloves when pressing the dough into the parchment-lined pan and for pressing the coarse sugar into the dough. That way the dough doesn't stick to my hands.
You may also like: Raspberry Peach Almond Shortbread Bars
or Pecan Crumble Blueberry Shortbread
