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Walker’s Scottish shortbread cookies are a holiday favorite in many households across the United States, celebrated for their ultra-buttery flavor and delicate crumbly texture that melts in your mouth.
This traditional Scottish shortbread recipe makes them the perfect sweet treat to accompany a cup of tea (or coffee), especially on special occasions or simply as a delightful treat to enjoy any day.
If you’ve ever craved these traditional Scottish shortbread cookies but couldn’t find them in the store, you’ll need this recipe.
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“Walker’s Scottish shortbread cookies are a holiday favorite in many households across the United States, celebrated for their ultra buttery flavor and delicate crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. This traditional Scottish shortbread recipe makes them the perfect sweet treat to accompany a cup of tea (or coffee), especially on special occasions or simply as a delightful treat to enjoy any day.
If you’ve ever craved these homemade shortbread cookies but couldn’t find Walker’s Shortbread in the store, this homemade version is exactly what you need. With only 4 basic ingredients and no added preservatives or other nasties, this easy recipe is a great one to have. Everyone loves home-baked cookies, and these are not only perfect to serve your own family but to gift to others, too.
Why This Recipe Works
- Simple Pantry Ingredients: Utilizes basic ingredients found in most kitchens, such as unsalted butter (at room temperature), sugar, flour, and salt, sticking to the essential components of traditional shortbread.
- Quick and Easy: The dough is straightforward to make, requiring less than 10 minutes of preparation time and another 30 minutes of bake time to achieve perfect golden brown cookies.
- Perfect Texture: Room temperature butter ensures a creamy texture, while the right mixing technique gives the cookies their ultra buttery flavor and delicate, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth.
- No Preservatives Needed: This homemade version is free from any added preservatives, making it a healthier option compared to store-bought varieties.
Variations
- For a special occasion or when gifting, dip the ends of the Walker’s shortbread fingers into semi-sweet or dark chocolate for a delicious contrast.
- Alternatively, sprinkle with caster sugar or icing sugar for a little extra sweetness and crunch.
- Use a shortbread mold to create prints and decorations on the cookies.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter, sugar (caster sugar for a more traditional shortbread recipe or brown sugar for a deeper flavor), flour, and salt are the only ingredients needed to make these delicious cookies!
This original recipe truly showcases the basic ingredients of good shortbread: part butter, part sugar, and part flour.
Instructions
- Place softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or use a handheld electric mixer. Room temperature butter is key for achieving the creamy texture.
- Cream the butter and sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Sift together the salt and flour.
- Add flour to butter mixture in 4 batches.
- If you’re using a stand mixer, remove the whisk attachment and replace with the paddle attachment. Only mix enough each time so that the flour is just incorporated.
- After the final batch of flour, the dough will look like wet sand but will hold together when squeezed into a ball.
- Gather up the dough from the bowl and push it together with your hands to create a ball. Scoop out on to a clean work surface. Knead the dough briefly to bring it all together. It will stick together but a few crumbly bits may escape here and there.
- Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and place 2 balls each into two 9-inch x 9 -inch pans.
- Using your hands, push the dough into the pan.
TIP
Use a ruler to ensure the dough is no thicker than 1/2 inch. Otherwise, it won’t cook through.
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the cookie dough. Use the back of a measuring cup to smooth out the top of the cookie dough by pressing the dough over the waxed paper. Repeat with the other pan.
- Once the dough is smooth, use a small sharp knife to score the dough into rectangles. Only score the top, don’t cut the whole way through. (I usually do 3 columns down and 5 or 6 across – but make them bigger or smaller as you wish).
- Using a fork, prick 3 sets of holes in each cookie.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the cookies are set and the edges are just turning golden brown.
- Remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Use the same knife to score the cookies again following the same lines, making sure to cut all the way to the bottom.
- Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before carefully removing (with a spatula or palette knife) and allowing to fully cool on a wire rack. If you attempt to move the cookies before they have had enough time to cool in the pan, they will crumble and fall apart.
Storage
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks (not that they will last that long) and can be kept frozen for up to 6 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use salted butter?
Yes! Just omit the additional salt called for in the recipe.
Can this dough be used to make cut out cookies?
While the traditional recipe is best suited for pressed cookies due to its crumbly texture, experimenting with cookie cutters for special shapes would be fun. Let me know how it goes!
Are you ready to try this classic Walker’s Scottish Shortbread recipe for an authentic taste of the Scottish Highlands? If you do, be sure to come back and rate it in the recipe card below!
Walker’s Scottish Shortbread Cookies (Copycat Recipe)
A delicious and buttery take on the traditional Scottish shortbread cookie.
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Serving Size 34 cookies
Equipment
electric mixer
sieve
9 x 9 cake pan
Ruler
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature (4 sticks)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 5 cups all purpose flour
US Customary – Metric
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer. Beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Sieve together the salt and flour.
Add flour to butter mixture in 4 batches. Mix until the flour is just incorporated each time. The dough will look like wet sand but will hold together when squeezed into a ball.
Gather up the dough from the bowl and push it together with your hands to create a ball. Put out on to a clean work surface.
Knead the dough briefly to bring it all together. It will stick together but a few crumbly bits may escape here and there.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and place 2 balls each into two 9-inch x 9 -inch pans.
Using your hands, push the dough into the pan. Use a ruler to ensure that the dough remains less than ½ inch thick.
Place a piece of parchment paper over the cookie dough. Use the back of a measuring cup to smooth out the top of the cookie dough by pressing on the dough over the waxed paper. Repeat with the other pan.
Use a sharp knife to score the dough into rectangles. Only score the top, don't cut the whole way through. (I usually do 3 columns down and 5 or 6 across – but make them bigger or smaller as you wish)
Bake for 30 minutes or until the cookies are set and the edges are just turning golden.
Remove from the oven to a cooling rack. Use the same knife to score the cookies again following the same lines, making sure to cut all the way to the bottom.
Allow the cookies to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing and allowing further cool on a wire rack.
Notes
It is important that the cookies are no thicker than 1/2 inch in the pan, or they will not fully cook. Use a ruler to measure them.
Only initially score half way through the cookie dough. When the cookies come out of the oven, use that original line to cut all the way through to make the finger cookies.
Allow cookies to cool completely before serving or they will break apart.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
Jenna is a self-taught baker originally from Ireland, infusing Irish charm into every dish and showing you that baking can be fun and fearless.
