My friend, Regina, loves this shortbread and said we should share the recipe. The cookies are the perfect texture – firm and crunchy but still crumbly – and the perfect blend of sweet and buttery. So, for Regina, and all of you who need an easy, fast recipe that’s perfect with coffee, or to take as a gift when visiting a friend, this is the Scottish Shortbread recipe we use.

There are only 3 ingredients: Butter, Sugar and Flour.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup real butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

You can use either granulated white sugar or packed brown sugar. We generally use brown since it adds a rich, caramel flavor.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Place butter and sugar in a bowl.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy.

Add 1/3 of the flour and mix. Repeat until all of the flour is mixed in.

You should be able to pinch the ‘dough’ and see that it sticks together.

Turn the ‘dough’ onto the table or board, lightly floured.

Knead the dough for about 5 minutes and place on the cookie sheet.

Roll or pat the dough into a rough oval or rectangle about ½” thick and cut into squares (roughly 1 ½” square). (At times, this can get a tad frustrating. Sometimes, depending on the weather, the dough seems too crumbly. Take a breath, and keep pressing and patting. It’ll be worth it!)

Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.

Let cool thoroughly before enjoying. The cookies won’t ‘set’ (get firm) until they’re totally cooled.