These buttery, crumbly Authentic Irish Shortbread cookies practically melt in your mouth, making them an irresistible treat for any occasion. With just a handful of ingredients and simple steps, these cookies are a breeze to make, bringing the taste of Ireland straight to your kitchen.
The Story Behind Irish Shortbread
Shortbread holds a special place in Irish culture, with its roots dating back centuries. Originally a luxury reserved for special occasions, it has since become a cherished everyday indulgence. Its simple yet sublime combination of butter, sugar, and flour captures the essence of Irish hospitality and warmth.
Table of contents
The Ingredients
Irish Butter – The most important ingredient for making authentic Irish Shortbread is Irish Butter. Irish butter has a higher percentage of butterfat than its American counterpart. Its yellow color is due to being made with grass fed milk. It has a rich creamy flavor that can’t be duplicated. Kerry Gold is a poplar brand available in the States. You can use salted or unsalted butter – just be sure to add salt to the dough if using unsalted butter.
Sugar – opt for caster sugar if you can find it because it is a finer grain than standard granulated sugar and will dissolve more easily into the butter. Superfine sugar is another great choice. Granulated sugar will work for this recipe but it may result is a bit of a gritty texture.
Flour – Use all-purpose flour aka plain flour in Ireland and the UK.
Corn Starch – Cornstarch aka cornflour in Ireland and the UK is added to Irish shortbread to give the cookies a tender delicate crumb and melting texture.
Optional Variations and Additions
Vanilla – Adding a touch of vanila flavor in the form of vanilla extract, vanilla paste or the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean will give the shortbread a sweet aromatic taste.
Lemon – Add finely grated lemon zest to the shortbread dough for a burst of citrus flavor that balances the rich buttery taste of shortbread.
Almond extract – A splash of almond extract gives these Irish shortbread cookies a sweet nutty flavor.
Rose Water or Orange Blossom Water– Aromatic rose water or orange blossom water will add floral notes to the shortbread.
Poppy Seeds – Poppy seeds add a crunchy texture and slightly nutty taste to the cookies. Pair it with lemon zest to make lemon poppy seed shortbread.
Chocolate Chips – Mix in mini chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate to make chocolate chip studded shortbread.
Decorative toppings – Sprinkle the tops of the baked shortbread cookies with additional suagr to give them texture and shimmer. Fold sprinkles into the cookie dough to make funfetti shortbread.
How to Make Authentic Irish Shortbread
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven and gather the ingredients. Make sure to soften the butter to room temp before starting.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugar
Use a stand mixer or hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until it is light, airy and fluffy. It should take about 5 minutes. Don’t rush this step. This ensures the sugar dissolved and wont be gritty in the finished cookies.
Add any additional flavoring like vanilla or lemon at this step.
Step 3: Mix in Dry Ingredients
Sift the flour and cornstarch into the butter mixture and mix it a the lowest speed setting for a few second to get it stared.
Then switch to mixing by hand with a spatula to finish incorporating the flour. Be careful not to over-mix the dough at this step to keep the cookies flaky and tender.
Step 3: Shape the Cookies
Form the cookie dough into roughly 30 small balls about 1.5″ or 3.5 cm wide with a cookie scoop. Lightly press them down with your fingers.
Use a cookie stamp to press impressions into the dough balls or simply press them down into round cookies with your hands.
Step 4: Bake the Shortbread
Bake the cookies on parchment paper lined half sheet pans until they are lightly golden and fragrant. Rotate the cookie sheets halfway through baking to ensure even doneness.
Step 5: Cool and Serve
Optionally sprinkle more sugar on the tops of each cookie for texture and shimmer. Let them cool completely on wire racks.
How to Properly Store Shortbread
Once the shortbread cookies have cooled to room temperature transfer them to an airtight container. Irish shortbread will keep for up to 2 weeks when store properly away from heat or light in a cool dry cupboard.
Tips for Making Irish Shortbread
- Use real Irish butter with a high butterfat percentage.
- Soften the butter at room temperature before creaming it.
- Use a stand mixer to cream the butter.
- Use extra cornstarch for cookie molds to prevent sticking.
- Use a cookie scoop to create evenly sized cookies.
- Weigh the ingredients – I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients when baking. It is the most accurate way to bake and ensures that you will get the correct results from any recipe.
- Don’t over-mix – Mix the flour in by hand to avoid overworking the flour in the mixer which coud cause the shortbread to be tough insteand of tender and crumbly.
- Use a thermometer – Because all ovens are different it is always a good idea to use an oven thermometer so you know the true temperature of your oven. They are inexpensive and widely available.
Recipe FAQS
Irish butter is a key ingredient to make authentic Irish Shortbread but you can use another variety of butter as long as it has a high percentage of butterfat. other European style butters would work well in this recipe.
While they are similar, traditional Scottish shortbread is made with just butter, sugar and flour. It is common to add a bit of corn starch (cornflour in Ireland and the UK) or rice flour to Irish Shortbread to give the cookies a fine melting texture.
It comes down to personal preference. Salt is necessary to bring out the flavor of the cookies. I like using salted Irish butter, but you can use unsalted – just make sure to add salt to the cookie dough.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes
- Sourdough Jam Sandwich Cookies
- Easy Vegan Slice and Bake Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Anise Seed Shortbread Cookies
- Mushroom Cookies Recipe
- Vegan Chocolate Chunk Cranberry Walnut Cookies
- Molded Gingerbread Cookies
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Traditional Irish Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 226 g salted Irish butter softened, 1 cup or 2 sticks
- 100 g caster sugar 1/2 cup
- 245 g all purpose flour 1-3/4 cups
- 55 g cornstarch 1/3 cup, aka cornflour
Optional Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or the seeds scraped from a vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 whole lemon, finely grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300˚F or 150˚C. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Cream together softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle blade or with a hand mixer until light and fluffy for about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed.
- If using vanilla or lemon beat them into the butter-sugar mixture at this point.
- Sift the flour and cornstarch into the butter mixture and mix on low speed for a few seconds then switch to mixing by hand with a spatula until the flour in just incorporated. Be mindful not to overmix the cookie dough.
- Scoop the batter into small balls, about 1.5" or 3.5cm in width. Place the cookie dough balls on the sheet pans spaced evenly apart. Lightly press them down with your hands.If making stamped cookies dust the cookie mold with cornstarch then stamp each dough ball with the mold to create an impression and press the cookies into shape. Use a cookie cutter to trim the edges.
- Bake the cookie trays on the middle rack at 300˚F or 150˚C for about 20 minutes or until the shortbread is a light golden color and you can smell their aroma. The bottom of the cookies should be a light tan color. Rotate the trays halfway though baking to ensure even cooking.
- Optionally sprinkle the tops of cookies with additional sugar. Transfer the shortbread cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- Store Irish shortbread cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.
- If using unsalted butter, add 1/2-3/4 tsp of kosher salt to the cookie dough
- You can also form the dough into a log, wrap, and chill it to make slice and bake shortbread cookies.
Kaity Farrell
Please leave your star rating and feedback here in the comments. Ask me anything!
Sheila Adley
Making them right now. Look great so far. Dough was nice and soft. I think I will lime this recipe
Kaity Farrell
Thanks for trying the recipe!
Sheila
Thank ypu
Lesley
This is the best Irish shortbread recipe I have found! Thank you very much for sharing it, Kaity. I live in the US, so caster sugar is hard to find and expensive, so I made my own by pulsing granulated sugar in my food processor. I’ve made these cookies several times, and they have been consistently delicious. I especially enjoy them with tea.
Kaity Farrell
I’m so happy to hear that, Lesley! Thanks for your feedback and review!
Rhonda
I am diabetic. Can I substitute Splenda for the sugar
Kaity Farrell
I haven’t tested it with Splenda, but if you have used it a sugar replacement in other cookie/baking recipes before I think it would work.
Christine
They taste really good but mine spread out thin like sugar cookies not sure where I went wrong I didn’t chill the dough so perhaps that is a key factor. Not sure.
Kaity Farrell
Oh no! Sorry to hear they spread during the bake. It sounds like the butter in the dough melted too quickly in the oven. Chilling the cookies first will help keep them from spreading out too much.
Cheryl
I’ve made something very similar in the past and used browned butter. I did this again last night and teaching it to a cooking class I teach for kids. I have never been a shortbread cookie kind of person, but OH MY GOODNESS…this is such an addictive cookie!
Kaity Farrell
Oh wow! Browning the butter must have taken these to a whole new level! Thanks for sharing!