Simple, Classic Shortbread + A Ted Lasso Biscuit Box for Gifting
Shortbread is one of those recipes that rewards restraint. Five ingredients, one bowl, and a wooden spoon produce a cookie with deep buttery flavor and a tender, slightly sandy crumb.
This version comes from Alexandra’s Kitchen, where it is presented as a Ted Lasso style biscuit, the kind that fits neatly into a small pink box and makes an easy gift during the holidays or any time you want to arrive at someone’s door with something homemade.
The recipe did not begin as a classic. The author started from Melissa Clark’s Rosemary Shortbread, a simple cookie made in a food processor, and then tested variations that swapped part of the flour for cornstarch or rice flour.
In the end, the plain combination of flour, sugar, butter, and salt won. The flavor was more buttery, the texture more convincing, and nothing stood in the way of the butter itself.
One small addition survived the testing: vanilla. Some purists consider it sacrilege, arguing that good shortbread should taste of excellent butter and nothing else. The recipe lists 1.5 teaspoons as optional, so the decision is yours. Leave it out for the strictest version, or keep it for a cookie that reads a little softer and rounder.
The real selling point is the method. No food processor, no chilling, no rolling pin. Butter at room temperature does most of the work, and the dough comes together with a spoon and a few minutes of stirring.
The butter needs to be genuinely soft, closer to mayonnaise than to a cold stick. If it is not there yet, melt two tablespoons of it and stir that back into the rest.
That trick is worth remembering for any butter forward baking you do. Cold butter leaves you with a crumbly, uncooperative dough and a cookie that bakes unevenly. Very soft butter, stirred smooth, gives you a dough that presses flat in seconds.
- Five ingredients, all of them pantry staples
- One bowl and one baking pan
- No food processor and no mixer
- Cut while warm, which is the only timing detail that really matters
Gifting is where this recipe earns its place. Shortbread travels well. It holds its shape in a box, it does not crumble into dust the way a delicate cookie might, and it keeps for days.
Ted Lasso themed pink biscuit boxes are sold separately if you want the full effect, and a sheet of parchment with a length of twine looks just as charming.
Because the dough is pressed into the pan rather than rolled and cut, there is no flour cloud on the counter and no scraps to gather and roll again. That makes it a practical choice for a busy afternoon, and a friendly first shortbread for anyone who has never made one.
The original recipe is published at Simple, Classic Shortbread from Alexandra’s Kitchen, where you will also find notes on the pink biscuit boxes. If you enjoy comparing buttery cookies, our own Easy Shortbread Cookies make a natural next bake.
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How to Make Simple Classic Shortbread, Step by Step
Set everything out before you begin, because this recipe moves quickly once the butter is soft. You need a large bowl, a wooden spoon, a baking pan, and a knife for cutting later. A bench scraper is optional, and it helps if you want a smooth top.
- Check the butter. If it is not very soft, melt 2 tablespoons of it, put the rest in a large bowl, and stir in the melted butter until the whole bowl has the texture of mayonnaise.
- Add the salt. Stir it into the soft butter until it disappears.
- Add the sugar and the vanilla. Stir again, and keep going until the mixture looks smooth rather than grainy.
- Add the flour last. Stir just until the flour is absorbed. The dough will still look lumpy, and that is exactly right.
- Press the dough into the pan. Use an 8 or 9 inch square pan, ungreased or lined with parchment. Smooth the top with a bench scraper if you have one.
- Bake at 325ºF. About 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Sprinkle if you like. A tablespoon or two of sparkling, superfine, or granulated sugar, added while the shortbread is still warm.
- Cool for 30 minutes, then cut. Cut into squares, bars, or wedges while the shortbread is still warm.
The order matters more than it looks. The salt goes in before the sugar so it distributes evenly through the soft butter. The flour goes in last and gets the least stirring, because the goal is a dough that is barely combined.
There is no baking powder and no baking soda in this recipe. The texture comes from the butter and the flour, which is why the butter needs to be soft and fully blended before the flour goes in.
Cutting while warm is the step people skip, and it is the one that causes the most trouble. Shortbread firms up as it cools, and a fully cool slab tends to crack under a knife. Cut it into squares, bars, or wedges while it is still warm, then leave it in the pan.
Once cut, the shortbread can sit in the pan for several hours or overnight, which makes it an easy thing to make ahead of a party. It is even better on day two, when the butter flavor has settled and the crumb has softened a little.
If you want to compare methods, King Arthur Baking’s classic shortbread recipe with five ingredients is a useful reference point. For a fruity take on a buttery bar cookie, see our Brown Butter Apple Shortbread Bars.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need for one pan of shortbread. Quantities are listed in cups and grams, so you can scoop or weigh depending on your habits. Only two items on the list are optional: the vanilla and the finishing sugar.
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unsalted butter | 1 cup (227 g) | Room temperature, soft enough to spread |
| Kosher salt | 1 teaspoon (5 g) | Balances the sweetness |
| Granulated sugar | 2/3 cup (134 g) | Sweetens the dough |
| Vanilla | 1.5 teaspoons | Optional |
| All purpose flour | 2 cups (256 g) | The only flour in the recipe |
| Sparkling, superfine, or granulated sugar | 1 to 2 tablespoons | Optional, for sprinkling |
The recipe calls for unsalted butter, which lets the teaspoon of kosher salt do the seasoning. Room temperature matters here. If you forgot to take the butter out of the fridge, the melting trick in the method section solves the problem in about a minute.
If you are weighing your ingredients, the gram amounts are worth using for the flour in particular. A cup of flour can vary quite a bit depending on how it is scooped, and shortbread is a recipe where a little extra flour makes a noticeably drier cookie.
The finishing sugar is a texture decision more than a flavor one. Sparkling sugar stays crunchy on top, superfine sugar disappears into the surface, and plain granulated sugar sits somewhere in between. None of them is required.
Instructions
This is the full method, start to finish. Read it once before you begin so the timing makes sense.
- Heat the oven to 325ºF.
- If your butter is not very soft, melt 2 tablespoons of it. Place the remainder in a large bowl, pour in the melted butter, and stir with a wooden spoon until the butter has the texture of mayonnaise.
- Add the salt and stir to combine.
- Add the sugar and the vanilla if you are using it, then stir again.
- Add the flour and stir just until it is absorbed. The dough will still be lumpy.
- Press the dough into an ungreased 8 or 9 inch square baking pan, or one lined with parchment paper for easy removal.
- Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for a 9 inch pan and 45 to 50 minutes for an 8 inch pan.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.
- Cut into squares, bars, or wedges while still warm, then sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of sparkling, superfine, or granulated sugar if you are using it.
| Pan size | Bake time | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 9 inch square | 35 to 40 minutes | Thinner pieces and a faster bake |
| 8 inch square | 45 to 50 minutes | Thicker pieces and a slower bake |
Press the dough firmly into the corners so the slab bakes evenly. If the surface looks uneven, a bench scraper run across the top smooths it in one pass.
Because the pan size changes the bake time, decide which pan you are using before you start. The dough is the same either way, so this is purely a question of how thick you want the pieces to be.
Recipe details
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 35 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 18 pieces
Those figures line up with a 9 inch square pan, which is the faster of the two options. An 8 inch pan needs a longer bake, so add roughly 10 minutes if you go that route. One pan cuts into 18 pieces, which is enough for a generous gift box or a week of coffee breaks.
Serving is simple. A piece of shortbread is good on its own with tea or coffee, and it is sturdy enough to travel in a lunch bag without crumbling apart.
Store the shortbread in an airtight container at room temperature. It keeps well for several days, and many bakers think it tastes best on the second day.
FAQs
What are the ingredients for simple classic shortbread?
Simple classic shortbread requires just four basic ingredients: 1 cup (227 g) of room-temperature unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, 2/3 cup (134 g) of granulated sugar, and 2 cups (256 g) of all-purpose flour. Vanilla extract is optional, and a sprinkle of sparkling, superfine, or granulated sugar on top is also optional but adds a nice finish.
How do you make shortbread without a food processor?
To make shortbread without a food processor, start by ensuring your butter is very soft, like mayonnaise. If it is not soft enough, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and stir it into the remaining butter in a large bowl. Then mix in the salt, sugar, and optional vanilla with a wooden spoon, add the flour, and stir just until absorbed into a lumpy dough before pressing it into the pan.
How long should you bake shortbread and at what temperature?
Bake shortbread in a preheated 325°F oven until it is golden brown. For a 9-inch square pan, bake for 35 to 40 minutes. For an 8-inch square pan, bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The shortbread is done when the edges are lightly golden and the center is set but still pale.
Why should you cut shortbread while it is still warm?
You should cut shortbread into squares, bars, or wedges while it is still warm to get clean, neat edges without crumbling. If you wait until it cools completely, the shortbread becomes firmer and more brittle, making it difficult to cut without breaking. After cutting, you can sprinkle the top with sparkling or granulated sugar if desired.
Simple, Classic Shortbread
Simple, Classic Shortbread + A Ted Lasso Biscuit Box for Gifting Shortbread is one of those recipes that rewards restraint. Five ingredients, one bowl, and a wooden spoon produce a cookie with deep buttery flavor and a tender, slightly sandy crumb.
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 18 pieces 1x
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
sparkling sugar, superfine sugar, or granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
1-Heat oven to 325ºF: Heat oven to 325ºF. If your butter is not very soft, melt two tablespoons of it. Place the remainder in a large bowl. Pour the melted butter into the bowl; then stir with a wooden spoon to combine or until the butter is the texture of mayonnaise. Add the salt and stir to combine. Add the sugar and vanilla if using; then stir again to combine. Finally, add the flour and stir just until the flour is absorbed – the dough will still be lumpy.
2-Press dough into an ungreased (or parchment: Press dough into an ungreased (or parchment paper-lined for easy removal) 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes for 9-inch pan, 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares, bars or wedges while still warm. Sprinkle with a tablespoon or two of sparkling, superfine, or granulated sugar, if using.
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- Cook Time: 35 min
- Method: bake
