Shortbread Cutout Cookies

These tender, buttery shortbread cutout cookies are melt-in-your-mouth good! Using only three ingredients, they're super easy to make. Beginning bakers and pros alike will love how these cutout shortbread cookies hold their shape in the oven, They're perfect for decorating for any occasion!

Why this recipe works

• A delicious, tender cookie that spotlights its rich, buttery flavor
• The cutout cookie dough is easy to roll out, cut, and stamp with a design
• A versatile shortbread cookie that can be shaped and decorated to celebrate any occasion

Longtime readers know that I'm a fan of the STARZ TV show, Outlander. It's even one of the reasons I started writing this website. Right now we're in-between seasons of Outlander (what we fans call "Droughtlander"), so I've started watching a new series, PBS's All Creatures Great and Small.

Set in England's picturesque Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930's/early 1940's, this gentle story follows a rural veterinary practice dealing with issues ranging from dealing with crusty farmers resistant to change to the onset of WWII. Family relationships and love are abundant in this series, and it's become one of my favorite shows.

I'm such an Anglophile and baker, and when I saw one of the characters baking shortbread cutout cookies decorated with a stamped design to bring to her enlisted son, I knew I had to make some, too.

I adapted my Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies recipe (that are shaped as bars) to roll them out easier. Plus, chilling the cookies prior to baking helps the cutouts to hold their shape in the oven. And boy, are they terrific!

With only three ingredients, shortbread cutout cookie dough is easier to make than sugar cookie dough (no eggs required!). The taste is rich and buttery, with that melt-in-your-mouth texture that shortbread is known for.

Shortbread is quite yummy on its own, but you can also dress up your cutout cookies for any occasion. Make trees for Christmas, stars for Hanukkah, or hearts for Valentine's Day, just to name a few examples.

Decorating your shortbread cookies with chocolate is another idea. Or, you can also portion the dough without needing to roll out the dough like I've done with my Lemon Shortbread Cookies.

Do yourself a favor and bake a batch of shortbread today. And if you're so inclined, serve as an afternoon snack with your favorite relaxing beverage. Close your eyes and think about sweeping green hillsides, pleasant company, and love.

Recipe ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this shortbread cutout cookies recipe:

Ingredient Notes

There are only three main ingredients to make these shortbread cookies: flour, butter, and sugar. Salt is optional.

Flour: I've written a separate post about why is shortbread called shortbread and a bit of its history. In that post I mention the 3 : 2 : 1 recipe ratio of 3 parts flour, 2 parts butter, and 1 part sugar (by weight).

This recipe for shortbread cookies follows that 3 : 2 : 1 shortbread ratio exactly. There's more flour used here than in my Scottish shortbread cookies recipe, making the dough easier to roll out.

I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients, especially the flour. You don't want to over-measure it and end up with a dry dough.

Butter: Because butter features prominently in a shortbread recipe, use the best butter available - the richer the butter, the better the flavor of the shortbread. European butter, with its high butterfat content, really shines here.

Sugar: This recipe uses granulated sugar. In the UK, using caster sugar (aka superfine sugar) is more common. That type of sugar will cream with the butter faster, and can be substituted in for the granulated sugar if desired.

Some recipes use powdered sugar (aka confectioner's sugar or icing sugar) instead of granulated sugar. Since powdered sugar contain cornstarch, this gives the shortbread cookies a softer texture. I don't find it necessary, but that's up to you.

Salt: I keep saying this is a three ingredient shortbread recipe, and that's true, up to a point.

There's an assumption that you'll be using salted butter. If you're using unsalted butter you have to...say it with me now...add salt (specifically ½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt, depending on how salty you prefer the shortbread).

Why does the recipe assume salted butter is being used? Since the original recipe was first written in the early 18th century (presumably made even before that), salt was used to keep butter fresher longer without the need for refrigeration.

Nowadays, most bakers use unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt in the dish. Use either kind of butter you'd like, but add salt if you're using unsalted butter.

See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make shortbread cutout cookies

Step 1: Make the shortbread dough

Beat the butter, sugar, and salt (if using) on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add the flour and mix just until a smooth, yet crumbly dough forms (photo 1).

Storage and make-ahead instructions

Storage instructions: Shortbread cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months, placed in an airtight freezer container. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.

Make-ahead instructions: Unbaked shortbread dough can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Let the refrigerated dough come to room temperature before rolling out.

For longer storage, you can either freeze the entire batch of dough as a large disk or freeze the individual shortbread cookie cutouts. To use:

• Defrost the disk overnight in the refrigerator, then let it come to room temperature before rolling out and shaping the dough
• Frozen shortbread cutouts can be baked from frozen at 325 °F for 15 to 17 minutes

Yield Notes

The yield will depend on the size of the cookie cutters used. I've found that using a 3-inch round cookie cutter will yield 24 cookies.