The recipe here is very like that used by my Grandmother. She used Caster Sugar that was a very fine sugar that blended easily into the butter I can't find that product anymore but if you don't like powdered or icing sugar you can use a product called "fine" sugar that also blends very well into the butter. I would recommend blending the sugar slowly using a pastry blender or two knives until there are only very fine pieces of butter. Then continue blending with your hands A pastry blender comes in handy for blending in the flour until it is of a consistency where you can use your hands to finish blending and roll into a ball. You may want to refrigerate for a few minutes so it won't be too sticky to roll out. Unlike pastry shortbread doesn't mind being worked.

Hi Shirley, The shortbread cookies should start to brown ever so slightly, but I really mean very very little. The middle of the cookie should be fully set and cooked in the middle, and not appear raw or slightly opaque. The reason they may not be browning could be due to your oven, sheet pan used, or even the height the cookies are baked at in the oven (top, middle, bottom rack) etc. As long as the cookies are fully set in the middle I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Hi Marcus, I made your recipe today. It was very easy to do and follow. Thank you for that! I have always been nervous about making shortbread because I thought they were hard to do. I checked the cookie t 15 mins and they had not browned even slightly on the bottom so I put them back in the oven and cooked another 3 mins. So I have a question for you..... Are then supposed to brown on the bottom?

Thanks Samira!

Hi Debbie, if you find the recipe to crumbly try mixing in another tablespoon or two of room temp butter. The increased fat content will help soften the dough.