Simple Shortbread Squares Recipes

CARAMEL SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

SUPER-EASY SHORTBREAD (3 INGREDIENTS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add flour and mix till texture is like clay.
• Press dough into ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan, prick all over with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar (tilt pan to cover the top evenly, then shake excess sugar back into the sugar canister).
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes (till very lightly browned--just golden around the edges).
• Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into 24 squares while warm.
• Leave in pan to cool thoroughly. (Shortbread will not be crisp until cool.).
• Less easy method: Chill dough. Roll into 1-inch balls, then press balls to about 1/4-inch thickness on ungreased cookie sheets with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar (sometimes you can find a glass with a pretty design on the bottom, like a star). Bake at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Least easy method: Chill dough. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkle with sugar, then cut with cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 300° for about 20-25 minutes (until edges are very lightly browned).
• Variation: Add 2 tablespoons dried lavender to the creamed butter and sugar before adding flour. It may sound strange, but the flavor is subtle and elegant. Food-grade lavender is usually available in herb bins at health food stores, and I recently found it at a great price from Atlantic Spice online (their Lavender #1).
• Variation: After cutting shortbread into squares (it will still be warm), scatter 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top, let the chocolate soften completely, then spread as a thin layer and let cool completely before removing from pan. (No need to sprinkle shortbread with sugar before baking if you plan to do this.).
• Variation: Stir 1 cup chocolate chips or butterscotch chips into the dough before pressing into pan. You can also try melting the butterscotch over the top, as above. In England, you'll find "caramel shortbread," which has a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate on top of the shortbread. It's wonderful (of course!). I've tried various ways of doing this and various kinds of caramel, but it's been a while and I don't remember what works best. It can be tricky not to make a mess!

SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Pat into an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Pierce several times with a fork. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut while warm.

LEMON SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Make Classic Shortbread dough, beating 1 teaspoon lemon zest with the butter. Mix 2 cups confectioners' sugar with the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Spread over the finished shortbread and sprinkle with yellow decorating sugar. Slice into squares.

BUTTERY 3-INGREDIENT SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Press dough into an ungreased 9-in. square baking pan. Prick with a fork., Bake until light brown, 30-35 minutes. Cut into squares while warm. Cool completely on a wire rack. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar.

SHORTBREAD JAM SQUARES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F).
• In a bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar until combined.
• Whisk in the egg, oil, and vanilla extract.
• Mix in the baking powder and 250 grams (2 cups) of the flour with a spoon until combined.
• Bring the mixture together using your hands to make a dough.
• Spray a 23 centimeter (9 inch) square baking tray with cooking oil. Spread out half of the dough on the tray.
• Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles from forming while baking.
• Spread the blackcurrant jam on top.
• With the remaining dough, mix in the remaining flour and rub with your fingers to make a crumb like texture.
• Sprinkle the crumbs on top of the jam.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
• Leave to cool for around 20 minutes, the jam will be hot!
• Sieve icing sugar on top.
• Cut into squares.
• Enjoy!

EASY BASIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan, and line bottom with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and vanilla, and beat to combine. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed until just combined.
• Press dough into prepared pan, leveling and smoothing the top. Using a dough scraper or the back of a knife, cut dough lengthwise into nine strips, each slightly less than 1 inch wide. Cut the strips crosswise into thirty-six 3-inch bars. Using the tines of a fork or a wooden skewer, create a decorative pattern on the surface.
• Bake shortbread until evenly pale golden, but not browned, 70 to 85 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Invert pan, and remove parchment. Turn shortbread over, and carefully break, or cut with a serrated knife, into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

SIMPLE SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Mix 4 cups and 2 tablespoons flour, butter, and white sugar together in a bowl using your hands until completely mixed. Spread dough into the prepared baking pan; cover with waxed paper and press firmly into pan. Prick dough through the waxed paper using a fork; remove waxed paper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until shortbread is lightly browned, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven and remove pan. Cut shortbread into 1-inch squares. Return pan to oven until oven is completely cooled.
• Sprinkle shortbread with colored sugar, remove squares from pan, and store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• You will also need: 20cm (8 inch) square tin and baking paper .
• Turn on oven to 150 degrees (gas mark 2).
• Cut out baking paper to shape of tin and place on base.
• Shake flour and cocoa powder with a sieve into a large mixing bowl.
• Cut margarine into small pieces and mix with a blunt knife until coated with flour.
• Rub pieces between fingertips until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Stir in sugar with wooden spoon.
• Hold bowl with one hand and squeeze mixture with other, allowing a dough to form.
• Press mixture into tin with finger tips and smooth top with back of a spoon.
• Use prongs of fork to press pattern around edge and make dots in centre (you can sprinkle with coconut now).
• Bake for 30 minutes until firm to the touch.
• Leave for 5 minutes to cool before cutting into 12 squares.
• Cool further, sprinkle with icing sugar - or enjoy warm!

COCONUT PIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square pan and line with parchment, leaving some overhanging.
• In a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt. Pulse in butter until crumbs form and the dough starts to come together. Press mixture into the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake until firm on top and lightly golden at the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack. You can bake the crust up to 6 hours ahead, or use it while it's still hot.
• While the crust bakes, using the same food processor (no need to wash it out first), pulse together eggs, sugar, butter, coconut milk, vinegar or lemon juice, lemon zest (if using), vanilla and salt until well combined. Pulse in the coconut. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
• When the crust is baked, pour in the filling (crust can still be hot). Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is set when you jiggle it and the top is browned, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve.