Stand mixer with paddle attachment (OR hand mixer with a large bowl)
Digital scale (or dry measuring cups and measuring spoons)
Silicone spatula
Plastic wrap
Rolling Pin
Ruler (optional)
Sharp knife
Offset spatula
Toothpick
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Cooling rack
Ingredients
1½sticks(180g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½cup(90g) granulated sugar
½ + ⅛ tsp(2g) salt
1tsp(6g) vanilla paste
1¾cups + 3 tbsp(270g) all-purpose flour
2tbsp(24g) granulated sugar for dusting(optional)
Instructions
Making the Shortbread Cookie Dough
Put the butter in a stand mixer and mix the butter on medium-low speed using the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and salt and cream on medium-low speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Next, add the vanilla paste and mix on low for about 30 seconds to incorporate.
Add the flour in 2 additions and mix after each addition until just combined. This will help to not overmix the dough and to make sure flour doesn’t explode onto all of your kitchen’s surfaces. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. The dough will be crumbly at this stage.
Pile the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and fold it over, using the plastic wrap to knead the dough into a rectangular block. Wrap the block in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Baking the Shortbread Cookies
Preheat the oven to 325°F/165°C and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the dough between plastic wrap and parchment paper on the counter and roll out the block of refrigerated dough until it is in an even sheet approximately ¼ of an inch thick. Try to keep the dough in a square or rectangular shape while rolling.
If the dough has softened (i.e., it is not cool to the touch), put the pan in the fridge until the dough is firm enough to be cut.
Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into a rectangle or square with straight sides. You can re-roll the cut edges to get a few more cookies if you have a lot of extra dough. To get same sized cookies, use a ruler to measure the length and the width of your dough. Determine the size you need to make rectangle-shaped cookies. I made cookies that were 1” x 3⅓”. Use a toothpick to prick a few holes in the top of the cookie. These holes are primarily decorative as the cookies shouldn’t puff while baking since there are no leavening agents in the dough.
Use an offset spatula to move the cookies to the baking sheet. The shortbread cookies will not spread while baking, but still leave a little space around each cookie so they will bake evenly.
Sprinkle some granulated sugar over the tops of the cookies for a little extra crunch and sweetness. This is not a necessary step, but I like it.
Bake the cookies in the oven for about 18 minutes (or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown).
Cooling and Storing Shortbread Cookies
Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. The cookies are very delicate when hot, so moving them too soon can result in broken cookies. Then, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Store these cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days at room temperature.
Notes
This recipe was adapted from the "Shortbread" recipe in the Bouchon Bakery Cookbook.