Brown Sugar Shortbread
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and King Arthur Baking.
Follows the classic butter shortbread method with light brown soft sugar in the dough for a toffee note and demerara sprinkled on top; because it colours faster, check it from 30 minutes.
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Method
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Equipment
- 20 cm square metal baking tin (not glass), lined with a baking-paper sling
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- fork
- sharp knife
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 207 kcal |
| Protein | 1.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 24.4 g |
| of which sugars | 7.3 g |
| of which free sugars | 7.3 g |
| Fat | 11.5 g |
| of which saturates | 7.2 g |
| Fibre | 0.4 g |
| Salt | 0.19 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 16 servings
Shortbread
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened (about 18°C)
- 110 g light brown soft sugar
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 225 g plain flour
- 110 g cornflour
To finish
- 10 g demerara sugar, for sprinkling
- 1
Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) for at least 20 minutes before baking, ideally while the dough chills.
- 2
Cream butter and brown sugar. Beat the cool-soft butter with the light brown soft sugar and salt for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy, but not fluffy or white. The brown sugar brings a toffee note and a slightly softer bite than the classic version, trading a little crispness for extra flavour.
- 3
Add flour and cornflour. Sift in the flour and cornflour and mix on low speed or with a spatula only until the dough clumps together. Minimal handling keeps the biscuit short, since there's no egg or leavening to fall back on.
- 4
Press into the tin. Press the dough evenly into the lined 20cm metal tin, smoothing the top flat, then prick all over with a fork to let steam escape evenly.
- 5
Chill the dough. Chill for 30 minutes until firm, so the fingers hold their shape in the oven.
- 6
Bake. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking from the 30-minute mark since the brown sugar makes this dough colour faster than the classic recipe. Look for pale to just golden all over with slightly deeper edges, and never let it go properly brown.
- 7
Sprinkle and cut. Sprinkle with the demerara sugar while still hot for a bit of crunch, then cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into 16 fingers while still warm. Warm shortbread cuts cleanly, while a cooled slab tends to crack.
- 8
Cool fully. Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting the fingers out.
Storage
Keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for 3-4 days. It freezes well for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
