How to Make the Best Scottish Shortbread (recipe from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco)

I absolutely LOVE this shortbread! It is perfection. If you've ever visited Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, you know the quality of their baked goods. What makes me so happy about this recipe is it bakes up exactly like the shortbread I have always purchased when in the city. Give this simple recipe a try and find out for yourself that it will melt in your mouth and is the very BEST shortbread you could ever make!
Pamela

Shortbread

1 cup + 2 tbsp very soft, unsalted butter/9 oz/255 g
1/2 teaspoon salt/ 2 ml
1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour/9 oz/ 255 g
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp cornstarch */ 2 2/3 oz/ 75 g
1/3 cup granulated sugar / 2 1/2 oz/ 70 g
1/4 cup superfine or granulated sugar (for topping)/ 2 oz/55g

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 6 x 10 inch glass baking dish. ( I have used metal pans with no problems and different size pans as long as the overall area is very close to 6x10)

Place very soft butter in a mixing bowl. The butter must be very soft- the consistency of mayonnaise or whipped cream. Add the salt to the butter and mix well with a wooden spoon or whisk so that the salt dissolves completely before adding the rest of ingredients.

Sift flour and cornstarch together into a bowl.
Add granulated sugar to the butter and mix just until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a smooth dough forms.

Pat the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. The dough should be no more than 2/3 inch deep. Bake until the top and bottom are lightly browned, about 30 minutes. ( I bake mine a bit longer to get the desired light golden color) The middle of the shortbread should remain light. Let cool on wire rack until warm to the touch.

Sprinkle the shortbread with the superfine or granulated sugar. Tilt the dish so the sugar fully and evenly coats the surface, then tip out the excess sugar. With a very thin, sharp knife, cut the shortbread in rectangular fingers about 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. ( I like to cut mine a bit wider)
If the cookies have become cold they will not slice well so they must still be warm to the touch at this point. Chill thoroughly before removing from the baking dish.
The first cookie is difficult to remove, but the rest should come out easily with the aid of a small, thin offset spatula. The cookies will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to two weeks.
* You may use rice flour or potato starch in place of the cornstarch. Rice flour will give shortbread a bit more crunch. Cornstarch is the softest of all, making a short and flaky cookie.

"Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart..."
Ecclesiastes 9:7

[howi]

My grandmother is Scottish. I helped her make shortbread when I was little. We made the shape round so we then just break it into pieces. I have craved it all my life. I'm 75 now.

[XavierAndFriendsOfficalChannel]

This is such a cumbersome way of making shortbread. The secret is not too much fuss!
Simple… pick a weight of butter, say…400g and make sure it’s really soft and cut into pieces. Halve that for your sugar 200g (caster sugar is best) and then add both those amounts together, to get your flour weight, which will be 600g. A pinch of salt and rub it all together till you get a dough. Press it to about an inch thick, square or round. Score your pieces, so you can snap the biscuits after they’re baked, also, prick them with a fork, it helps the cooking process…and looks good! 😉😁
My grandma made the best shortbread…making her recipe is a good way of reliving sweet childhood memories.
Jen. Australia.
❤️🙏❤️🇦🇺❤️

[lauriebowman]

My Scottish Grandmother's recipe is
4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 lb of butter
Cut into cookie shapes and slow baked at 250 for 50 to 60 minutes.
So friggin good! 🙂

[karenairoldi]

I love the history of the baking tips that you give on your videos. I disagree with the woman that said you talk too much, your words are informative and educational. I have become a much better baker just watching your videos. I feel the history that you share with the recipes is a lovely touch and the tips are priceless!

[greenquiltsgalore]

Thanks for the added history about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her love of shortbread!

[Lisa_Isom]

New subscriber 😊
First, it was the Bible verse you listed, below the recipe, that caught my attention. Secondly, as you spoke, I discovered myself becoming more at peace.
(After a heartbreaking day and much prayer and tears, finding you was the proverbial "icing on the cake.") ✝️💜
Thank you & Blessings ~

[temperhollow]

This is truly the best Scottish Shortbread that I have ever made. I'm so grateful that you shared this.

[marciakipp]

Appreciate the 'history', trivia, and 'tips'!...

[kevinmartin]

I made this recipe. Excellent! My baking was a lot messier than Pamela's and finished product was not quite as attractive, but everyone loved them. I even bought a shortbread mold which worked well. I really enjoy watching Pamela bake. She's very clear and explains the process so well.

[allisonbrunelle]

Have tried many shortbread recipes and haven't been thrilled with any of them. Came across your video and figured it was worth a try. Boy am I glad I did. These are absolute perfection! Your directions were wonderful as well. Thank you so much!

[Jennifer-ozec]

Thanks for your great instructions and the helpful tips along the process. And, yes, snippets of history were great, too!

[scheeny]

I used to live around the corner from Tartine. Fortunately, about the time we moved to Canada, they started publishing several books and recipes for items we really missed. Thank you for this reminder about shortbread. I’ll be sure to try some of your other recipes. I appreciate your straightforward and practical presentation. 👏🏾

[shaheroselalji]

It is so very considerate of you to answer to the queries posed in the comments section. The recipe looks really good. I will try it tomorrow using a 8x8 inch pan.

[nancycrabtree]

I would definitely put a parchment sling in the pan to pull the batch out to cut

[aquacat]

I can't wait to make this. Thank you so much!

[janetpoong]

I love shortbread l bake a lot .Thank you for your recipe.l am from Sabah Malaysia.

[kayzium]

Proper Scottish Short bread measurements are simple, say you used 200gms of butter, then you half that amount for the sugar 100gms, then add the weight of the butter and sugar to get the amount of All Purpose flour needed thats 300gms. Pinch of Salt and nothing else.
OR say 2 cups of butter, then 1 cup of sugar, then you would need 3 cups of all purpose flour.
I personally use 250gms of Butter, 125gms Sugar then 375gms all purpose flour, and a pinch of salt. Then after shaping and fork pricking, I cook as follows.
Pre heat oven, i do mine at 160'c for around 20mins
Hope this helps someone. :) x

[NadoCrowFriend]

The addition of Cornstarch is what creates the melt in your mouth delicate texture.

[bparry]

Mine are in the oven as I write- the recipe and your instructions just made me want to try. I use the rectangular tart pan as well but I always put a strip of parchment in the bottom just to make it easier to remove the bottom plate. Nothing sticky with shortbread but I did it anyways. Thanks for this recipe.

[victoriac]

With the full recipe I use the same pan you do for fingers...or a Nordic Ware 'snowflake' pan to make my wedges and bake half of the recipe at a time. Works perfectly! Just a tip. This is a wonderful video to try... can't wait! Thank you for the excellent video and thorough explanation.