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Easy Way to Roll Out Shortbread or Sugar Cookies + Shortbread Recipe

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The great thing about Shortbread, besides the fact that it is made of pantry staples, is that your children can pretend it is Lembas Bread. The bad thing about shortbread is trying to roll it out! After discussing the problems of rolling out shortbread with a friend, I decided to post pictures of how I do it.

I start by putting a ball the size of a grapefruit onto my greased baking sheet. (My baking sheet does not have raised sides, if yours does, you can do this on a piece of parchment).

Rolling out shortbread or sugar cookie dough plus a recipe for shortbread

I roughly flatten it by hand, then sprinkle flour over the top.

It is hard to see, but I put a piece of wax paper over the top of the dough. (I also use an old pillow case. After you are done, turn the pillow case inside out and throw it in the wash). Then I roll it to the appropriate thickness with a rolling pin.

How to roll out shortbread or sugar cookies

I use cookie cutters to cut the dough directly on the cookie sheet, which eliminates the hassles of transferring shaped dough. (If you used parchment paper you can place the parchment directly onto a baking sheet instead of transferring the cookies individually). After I have made the cuts in the dough, I lift up the unwanted dough and throw it back into the bowl for future use.

Easy way to roll out shortbread dough or sugar cookie dough plus shortbread recipe

My handy little helper adds sugar sprinkles and the shortbread is ready for the oven and we are ready to start on rolling out another batch.

Making shortbread and sugar cookies the easy way

Although a single bite of Lembas Bread can fill the stomach of a grown man, I have found that several bites of shortbread are required. Fortunately, the following recipe yields two dozen:

Print

Shortbread Recipe

Course Dessert
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 24
Author Alea

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, mix flour and sugar together.
  • Use a fork to mix in butter. If it is too crumbly, mix it together with your hands. (The warmth of your hands will further soften the butter, creating a softer dough).
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour, so that it is firm, but pliable.
  • Either roll the dough into a log and slice 1/2 inch discs, roll it into an 8 inch circle and cut it with a pizza cutter into 8 pieces, or roll the dough out until it is a 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut the dough.
  • Leave space between each piece as they will spread some.
  • Bake at 325 for 25 – 30 minutes.

Notes

I like to add the grated peel from one orange and 1 1/2 teaspoons of orange extract to the batter.

More Cookie Recipes:

About Alea Milham

Alea Milham is the owner of Premeditated Leftovers and the author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scatch. She shares her tips for saving money and time while reducing waste in her home. Her favorite hobby, gardening, is a frugal source of organic produce for her recipes. She believes it is possible to live fully and eat well while spending less.

Comments

  1. Sarah says

    iv'e been looking for a good shortbread recipe, and i came upon this recipe, and i've made the recipe twice in the past two days, its become my favourite.

    i add vanilla extract (1tsp) and semi sweet chocolate chips, these cookies barely last a day.

    they are the best shortbread cookie i've made in a long time.

    thank you!!

    Reply

  3. Michael Lee West says

    Thanks for the tip. I love shortbread, but the dough is so soft and delicate, I tend to overwork it. The pillow case is a great idea. I'm making shortbread on Valentine's Day.
    XX00

    Reply

  4. MontgomeryMama says

    Thanks! I will definitely try your tips.

    Apparently the shortbread cake is a hit because my husband convinced me into making him another one last night. He has already finished it off! I don't know how he isn't fat.

    Reply

  7. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    Thanks for the fantastic tip! We love shortbread at our home, and I know what you mean about rolling it out. Your little one is so cute helping you!
    Yvonne

    Reply

  8. ButterYum says

    Interesting take on a classic. I've never seen shortbread rolled and cut like a sugar cookie before. It's usually pressed into a pan, thick, and cut after it's baked.

    It's always nice to see little helpers in the kitchen.

    🙂
    ButterYum

    Reply

  10. halfdozendaily says

    Yum! My shortbread never turns out! I'll have to try this out, never thought to actually cut out the shapes on the cookie sheet! Awesome idea! 🙂

    Reply

  11. 21st Century Housewife© says

    That's a really good idea – it's so easy for cookies to get damaged when you transfer them to the baking sheet.

    Reply

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Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.