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These crisp, buttery melt-in-your-mouth delicious Irish Shortbread Cookies require just one bowl and no mixer! They come together quickly and disappear even quicker, so make plenty!
Oh my! I've made lots of shortbread in my years, but these Irish Shortbread Cookies... I think they just might be the best ever!
If you're intimidated by rolling and cutting dough, don't be! This dough is a dream to work with and can be made by even novice bakers. We made a little video to prove this to you! Check it out:
A fun, festive gift!
If you enjoy sharing gifts from the kitchen with friends, family, neighbors, etc, it's your ☘️ lucky day ☘️! We've created some really fun labels to adorn you gifts. They're free for the asking and you can print them up on your computer.
To receive a PDF for the labels picture below along with instructions on how to use them, just leave us a comment in the comment section at the bottom of this post, letting us know you'd like to receive them. We'll email the PDF right to your inbox.
What is shortbread?
Shortbread is probably the simplest of all sweet confections with an almost unbelievably short ingredient list - butter, sugar and flour.
According to Historic UK, the history of shortbread goes back to the days of Mary Queen of Scots who reigned in the mid to late 1500s. Originally, "Any leftover dough from bread making was dried out in a low oven until it hardened and became very crisp. It was called "biscuit bread". Gradually the yeast in the bread was replaced by butter" (and more sugar) and evolved into what we now know as shortbread.
The fame and popularity of shortbread spread quickly and it's been noted that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert loved serving shortbread to their important guests. Shortbread remains a classic tea time treat all throughout the UK and these delicious, crisp, buttery cookies have become a favorite of sweet eaters all over the world.
What is Irish shortbread?
You might be surprised at the answer to this question. There's really only one difference in these Irish Shortbread Cookies and most other shortbread recipes. And it's actually not the recipe itself.
The difference is Irish butter! I've made tons of shortbread over the years and have tried lots of different recipes. Most of them are fairly similar. As stated above, shortbread is not complicated as far as ingredients go; rather it's super basic. In this particular recipe, I'm convinced that it's the Irish butter than takes them over the top.
Does the butter really make a difference?
Yes! I always bake with butter and keep a supply of good, but reasonably priced (American) butter in my refrigerator and freezer, but I decided to try making this Irish Shortbread Cookie recipe with Irish butter, as it's known to be among the best butters in the world. And after all, the recipe is for Irish shortbread, right?
So I splurged a bit and bought a stash of Irish butter (Kerrygold). After the cookies were baked and cooled I took a little nibble. "Wow"! was my response. It was so crisp, buttery and had fantastic flavor. And when I gave Scott a cookie to sample he took one bite and said "Amazing!". Since then, I've had quite a few additional taste-testers - young, old and in between. They all agree these cookies are outrageously delicious.
Yes, the butter does make a difference!
Why is Irish butter so good?
After reading this post, thus far, you might think it's sponsored by the Irish Butter Board or whatever they call their butter promoting organization; or maybe Kerrygold. Nope, not true. I've simply discovered that it's really fabulous butter, both for baking and on bread (it's crazy on these Unbelievably Easy Artisan Rolls) and I'm not alone in this observation. According to Epicurious, Irish butter is butter that's "churned with cream from Irish cows that eat Irish grass, not hay" which gives it amazing flavor. They also describe Irish butter (Kerrygold, in particular), as "a dream to bake with".
Irish butter (and many other European butters) are naturally more yellow in color. Part of this is due to the cows being grass fed and part is because there is less water than in most American-made butter. The less water, the more butterfat which creates a richer, more flavorful butter. Kerrygold and most other European butters contain 82% butterfat where the majority of American butter is at 80%. 2% might not seem like a lot but I think you will "get it" when you take the first bite!
A number of years ago, Scott and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit Ireland. We traveled the perimeter of the beautiful Emerald Isle from north to south and lots of destinations in between. The name Emerald Isle is truly accurate. Below is what we saw just about everywhere we went. Can you see why the cows are happy in Ireland and produce such great milk for making butter?
All this to say, you can definitely make these Irish Shortbread Cookies with your usual brand of butter and they will be delicious. But if you want something over-the-top, crazy delicious, put Irish butter on your shopping list and make a batch of these melt-in-your-mouth, almost-make-you-want-to-cry-they're-so-good cookies!
Sláinte! (the Irish expression for "Cheers")
Café Tips for making these Irish Shortbread Cookies
- Because there’s no mixer used, the butter needs to be very soft when mixing up these Easy Irish Shortbread Cookies. Either let the butter come to room temperature by letting it sit out overnight or you can use the microwave. A short stint in the microwave on power level 10 (10%) works like magic to soften butter. You’ll need to experiment a bit with your microwave though, as they’re all different. Start with 20 or 30-second increments at power level 10 until you learn how long your microwave will take to get the butter nice and soft, but not melted.
- You might wonder why these cookies need to be chilled for at least an hour before baking. The chilling helps them keep their shape in the hot oven. Also, chilling the cookies, uncovered, helps them to dry out a bit which is a good thing with shortbread, as it intensifies the flavor. So it's a win-win!
- A small amount of cornstarch in shortbread also helps the cookies to keep a nice shape in the oven and adds to the crisp texture.
- The directions for these Irish Shortbread Cookies instruct you to roll them ¼-inch thick. I'm not very good at rolling dough to an even thickness, so I use this wonderful, reasonably-priced rolling pin that makes my cookies look like an expert rolled them. It has adjustable disks (1/16, ⅙, ¼, and ⅜-inch) that make it super simple to roll to whatever thickness you want.
- A few tips on rolling and cutting out cookies:
- Keep your work surface and rolling pin dusted with flour.
- I also like to rub the cutting edge of my cookie cutter in a little flour in between each cookie.
- Press fairly firmly when cutting out the cookies, but don’t twist the cookie cutter as the shape will get distorted.
- If you don’t have room in your refrigerator to chill the cookies on two sheet pans, just transfer all of them to one pan after cutting. Then later, once they’re chilled, you can divide them between the two pans for baking.
- It's fine to reroll the scraps and cut more cookies.
- The cookies will be slightly puffed after being in the oven for a while. That's why I like to take them out after 8 minutes and give them a nice flat top by pushing gently on the tops with a metal spatula. This is also when I sprinkle the cookies with sugar, as it stays on top of the cookies better than if you sprinkle them right away.
Thought for the day:
Whoever believes in Me,
as Scripture has said,
rivers of living water will flow from within them.
John 7:38
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations.
Easy Irish Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 ounces very soft butter Irish butter, if available (I use salted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
- sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the butter and vanilla until smooth and no lumps remain. Add the sugar and mix together until smooth and thoroughly combined.
- Add the flour and corn starch. Mix with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until all flour is incorporated. It may seem like too much flour at first, but just keep mixing until it’s all incorporated.
- Dump mixture out onto a generously-floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds until dough forms into a ball and is not sticky. Divide dough in half and set one portion aside.
- Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll out the dough until it's ¼-inch thick (see Café Tips above in post.) Add more flour to work surface and rolling pin as needed if dough is sticky.
- Cut into your favorite shape and place on prepared sheet pans. Knead dough scraps together, roll and cut out shapes until dough is used up.
- Place pan in refrigerator, uncovered, for at least one hour and up to 12 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350˚F. Remove cookies from refrigerator.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Flatten any puffed part of cookies with the back of a flat metal spatula. Sprinkle cookies with more granulated sugar. Return to the oven for 5-7 additional minutes, or until light golden brown.
- Allow to cool on pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Hide the container if you plan to serve these to guests.
Notes
Nutrition
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Carol R says
Yes please! I'd love the label for these cookies. I use many of your tips for baking and decorating cookies. These will be a hit at my place of work for sure. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope everyone enjoys them, Carol! Just sent the labels.
Summer Day says
I'd love the cute labels for the shortbread cookies.
BTW, I love the Joseph rolling pin you suggested so much, that I gave one to a new bride this past week.
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
That's awesome, Summer! I love that rolling pin! Just sent the labels your way!
Janet says
Can I use unsalted Kerrygold butter. My store is out of salted
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, that will be fine! Just add a little extra salt! Enjoy!
CynDee Aerts says
I have made shortbread for years. Thus is the 1st time adding cornstarch. I used Kerrygold salted butter. I tripled the recipe sine I needed 6 dozen . I weighed all of the ingredients using your metric recipe amounts and my digital scale.
I think my 1st mistake was creaming the ingredients in my Ankeshrum. The dough was the consistency of frosting.
Way too fluffy to handle.
I tried to chill the whole bowl, but that didn't work either.
So...I tried roiling them. Disaster!
Adding flour until I could handle the dough made them crumble and break apart when I tried to cut them.
It took me 3 hours, but I was able to cut enough and chill them overnight.
The baked cookies are ok....certainly not what I expected.
I will try again.
1. Single batch.
2. Knead the dough.
3. Pre-roll between silicone mats or parchment.
4. Chill 45 - 60 minuutes before cutting.
5. Chill overnight before baking.
6. Plan on frosting or glazing them.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi CynDee, so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. The dough is the same one that I use for all my shortbread and is normally really easy to work with.
CynDee Aerts says
Yes....I think it was my fault for creaming the dough too much. I will definitely try again.
After all of the trouble rolling them out, they baked beautifully and the taste ~ after glazing ~ was very good.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm glad to hear it worked out ok 🙂
S tilney says
I am terribly disappointed. I made these for a St Patrick,s Party. I used Kerrygold butter and followed the recipe exactly. They taste like raw flour. I’m know for my baking skills, but these are so bad I won’t serve them. I do not know if this is usual for Irish sweets or not.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm so sorry these didn't come out well for you. It's difficult to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. So many others have made these and have loved them. These cookies should taste like shortbread which isn't super sweet but is super delicious.
Kaye says
Hi Chris,
I have made these several times and they always turn out beautifully. This year I am making for a St. Patrick's party and would like to use the clover cookie cutter. Can you tell me the size you used?
Thanks so much,
Kaye
Chris Scheuer says
HI Kaye, I used a 3.75-inch cutter. This one: https://amzn.to/3HOelJs
Julie says
Corn Starch or Corn Flour? Just wondering, this us the only recipe that uses Corn Starch that I have found
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Julie, this may sound strange but it depends where you live. In the US, corn flour means finely ground cornmeal where in the UK corn flour is the same as U.S. cornstarch.
So if you're from the US, yes I mean cornstarch. It helps give a nice, crisp consistency and also helps the cookies keep their shape.
If you're from the UK, corn flour and corn starch are one and the same so yes, use cornstarch or cornflour.
Mary Beth says
Can you make freeze the unbaked cookies already cut out?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Mary Beth, yes, I have done that with good results.
Stefani says
Followed recipe exactly with Kellygold butter and all. I know my oven well. Refrigerated for 3 hours. All went well until they baked up like ugly blobs of dough. They still tasted good. 🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Stefani,
First of all, I'm so sorry you had a problem with this recipe. I hate wasting good ingredients.
It's really hard to say what went wrong without having been right there in the kitchen with you. No one else has reported this issue.
Virginia says
I followed the recipe and let them cool, but they fell apart. Still tasted delicious.
Chris Scheuer says
I'm sorry you had trouble with this recipe, Virginia. It's hard to say what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Maybe give them another try!
Marge Johnston says
I would like to bake in a 9 x 13 glass dish. Then cut into squares after baking. Is that a good idea >
I have been using Irish Butter eveer since I found it a year and a half ago and love it. Don't have a cookie cutter so would like to bake in
glass dish/
Do you recommend ?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marge, you definitely could bake this shortbead in a glass dish although it may not get as crisp. I would bake it then turn off the oven. Remove it from the pan and cut it into squares while it's warm. Then I would put them back in the oven to crisp up as the oven cools down.
Maureen Murray says
If I could give this 10 stars, I would! It is the best. I had to use a portable mixer because I couldn’t mix it with a spoon or spatula. I tried. Kneading and flouring the surface and rolling pin makes it very easy to roll out. I didn’t use Irish butter, sorry. Thank you so much.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Maureen, for sharing your results! I'm super happy you enjoyed this shortbread!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much! With a name like "Maureen", that a true compliment. I appreciate you taking the time to share your results, Maureen!
Ed Altman says
Cookies were delicious...i did have some problem in rolling the dough out given how very soft it was...
do you recommend put the dough back into the fridge before rolling it out to firm t up a bit?
and if so, for how long?
other than the extreme softness of the dough, recipe was a breeze and the cookies great.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Ed,
If your dough is soft when you're trying to roll it, just knead it with a little extra flour on the counter and it will roll just fine. Some butter has a little more water content than others so it can vary a bit. You really don't need to refrigerate the dough before rolling.
Sayuri Shimada says
Hi! It’s easier to roll it out before the first refrigeration.
What I do is when I finish the dough I put the ball of dough between two large sheets of parchment and roll it out BEFORE refrigeration. I roll out a large rectangular shape. I don’t refrigerate a big ball of dough. You can also roll it out between two pieces of plastic wrap. I put the flat sheet of dough in the refrigerator and let it chill for one hour. Then, I take it out and cut the shapes. Then, chill again for ten minutes. Crisp clean edges every time.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Sayuri!
Ela says
Hi Chris! Did you use salted or unsalted Irish Butter for this recipe?
Can I cut it thicker, like 1/2-3/4 inch, if so, how long do you think should I bake it and at what temperature?
I'm sending this out of State as a gift, will it be sturdy enough and safe when it reaches the destination. Any tips?
Thank you so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Ela, I use salted butter. I have tried cutting this shortbread thicker but the flavor and texture is not as good. I think if you wrap this carefully, it should be fine for mailing.
Susie Durdaller says
Hi! Not quite sure if I should use confectioners sugar or plain white sugar for the cookie dough....the recipe simply states “sugar.”
Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susie, it's regular, granulated sugar. I've clarified that in the recipe. Thanks!
Rosemary Blashill says
Where can I get Kerrygold butter
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Rosemary, most larger grocery stores carry Kerrygold in the butter section. You can also find it at Costco, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Aldi has an Irish butter - it's not Kerrygold but it's also really good!
Susie Durdaller says
Thanks! I also took your advice and bought the “Joseph Joseph” rolling pin and it works like a charm!
Chris Scheuer says
I love that rolling pin too!
Ashley says
This was a great recipe, I loved it! The second time I made it though I doubled the batch and the dough was a bit crumbly and harder to manage . Any tips?
Chris Scheuer says
Hmmm, it's hard to say Ashely without having been there in the kitchen with you. Could you have inadvertently added more flour?
Noreen says
I just finished making the cookies and realized I did not add the vanilla extract. I followed your instructions and did not see where it said to add the vanilla. I'm assuming it should have been added to the butter. I'll see how they taste after I bake them. Otherwise a very easy recipe. I was in Ireland in May of this year and had a fabulous time and I always use Kerrygold butter as I was raised in Ireland. My favourite butter.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry, Noreen. Yes, the vanilla should be added with the butter. I have corrected the recipe. I love the Irish cows, they look so happy nibbling on all that beautiful green!
Susanne Skinner says
Can't wait to try these. I just whipped up a batch of your canestrelli and used European butter (but not Kerrygold) I find this to be a softer butter even when chilled - don't you? Should be easy to mix this up! Have a wonderful Irish adventure!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Susanne!
I agree some of the European butters are softer. In this recipe, I found I needed to dust my work surface with a bit more butter than when I bake with American butter.
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
What a great post Chris! You've packed it with such great info. Shortbread happens to be my favorite kind of cookie. Even more so than anything chocolate. So simple, but incredibly delicioius! Hope you have a wonderful trip!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Tricia | Saving Room for Dessert says
So excited to follow along your trip! You're going to love it. And I love these cookies 🙂 Kerry Gold butter is so good because those Irish cows are so happy - you'll see 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Thanks, Tricia, I can't wait to see those happy cows!
Sue R says
We had an interesting time in Dublin. We accidentally walked over the top of a drug dealer being held down by 2 policeman on the footpath! There were so many people we didn't see them till we were right there lol. We stayed above Marble Bar too. Awesome apartment it was. Air BNB. Another true story is the best food we ate in Dublin was Chinese! Beef and ale pies were pretty good too. Have fun! These cookies look and sound fabulous too.
Chris Scheuer says
Oh my goodness! That sounds pretty crazy! You just never know when you're traveling what you will run into, always an adventure!
I'm looking forward to trying the Irish food!
Lishcia says
My husband and I are headed to Ireland, too! Your recipe made me even more excited about our trip. We leave in a week! If I see you, we’ll introduce ourselves! Love your blog!
Chris Scheuer says
That's so awesome, Lishcia! Where in Ireland are you going?
Lishcia says
We’re doing a road trip heading south from Dublin and circling back to Dublin staying in a different town every night. It will be a whirlwind as we are packing a ton of stuff into 8 days. It sounds as though we may only be there a couple of days that you are. I wish we had 3 weeks! It’s our 30th anniversary trip! We love to travel, and I enjoy finding recipes and making food we try when we travel. We also love the Asheville area!
Chris Scheuer says
Have a fabulous trip! Who knows? We might run into each other 🙂 We are also starting in Dublin for a few days, then heading south and spending a week in the Cork area. After that, we'll head up the west coast and finally end up at the far north of Ireland at our niece's wedding. We're so excited to be able to experience all of this.
Can't wait to discover some great new Irish recipes! Let me know what you find 🙂
Lishcia says
Thank you! Hope your trip is wonderful! We’ll keep an eye for you when we arrive back in Dublin the last day we’re there. Sound like that may be the only place we’ll overlap. Can’t wait to see your posts about your trip!
Chris Scheuer says
Sounds good!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers says
I've never met a shortbread cookie I didn't love and so perfect to sit down with along with a nice cup of tea! These look perfect 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Haha, Jennifer! I totally agree. Shortbread is about as good as desserts come 🙂
Liz says
We loved our trip to Ireland! The people are so welcoming---Nick was only 6 when we took the family, so I think it's time to plan a return visit. P.S. Pinning these beautiful shortbread cookies.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Liz! <3
Vicki says
Oh wow, Chris, I am so excited for your trip to Ireland - it is on my bucket list for one day!! Enjoy the trip so much and I am looking forward to all the new cooking recipes and tips!! Bon Voyage!!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Vicki! We're so excited and can't wait to share the experience!
Adrienne says
will using gluten free flour deliver the same result?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Adrienne, I haven't tried this with GF flour yet. If you do, please share your results. I do think this recipe looks great: https://glutenfreebaking.com/how-to-make-gluten-free-shortbread/