Irish shortbread is a classic, buttery treat known for its rich flavor and crumbly texture.
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:30 bars 1x
Category:Cookies
Method:Oven
Cuisine:Irish
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1poundbutter, softened
1cupgranulated sugar4cupsall-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
Dash of vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
Use a pastry cutter or a fork to mash everything together until crumbly. Knead by hand until everything forms a shiny ball. (This takes a LOT of kneading.) You can use the dough hook on a Kitchen-Aid mixer to attain this also.
Flatten dough into a rectangular pan, or two smaller pans, and poke all over with a fork.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes (depends on whether you like hard or soft cookies).
Cut it into bars, then bake for another 20 to 30 minutes at 275 degrees F.