Shortbread cookies have the highest ratio of butter to flour
. … While butter cookies still have a high proportion of butter, the amount of flour and sugar is increased, which means they will hold their shape better than a shortbread.
The origins of shortbread can be traced
back to about the 12th Century when butter or lard was added to bread dough
, thus the name shortbread. … It probably had the same derivations as the American ‘shortnin bread’ or ‘shortcake’, which uses fat or shortening in the recipe.
They’re both delicious cookies, but different.
Sugar cookies are lighter, while shortbread is dense
. Shortbread is more rustic, while sugar cookies work best for cutting and decorating. Sugar cookies will have a leavening (baking powder or soda) while shortbread has a short and simple ingredient list.
The biggest difference between sugar cookies and butter cookies is that sugar cookies are
often rolled thin and cut out using
cookie cutters. While butter cookies will hold their shape while baking, the dough is much softer and for best results should be piped onto a baking sheet and then baked.
They’re thick, yet small enough to be bite-sized, and the shortbread has a
delicious buttery taste and a rich sweetness with vanilla notes
. Soft and crumbly, it melts in the mouth but there is a little grittiness that didn’t go down too well with testers.
Butter cookies are
actually better than shortbread cookies! The main difference between the two is the amount of sugar and the baking temperature. Butter cookies have more sugar and bake at a higher temperature than shortbread cookies. They don’t crumble and the dough is extremely versatile.
Bakers and chefs usually choose
unsalted butter
in their recipes because it’s easier to manage the salt content in the dish. Most recipes that call for butter—especially baked goods and desserts—are created with unsalted butter. It is the standard in baking and is always implied unless otherwise specified.
Verdict: Unfortunately, lovers of these tasty pure butter shortbreads from Walkers will want to avoid these if they’re watching their waistline. Walkers Shortbread rounds takes
the title for worst biscuit for saturated fat
in our healthiest biscuits round-up. Plus it’s high in calories and fat overall.
Why do you put holes in shortbread?
Poking holes in the top of the shortbread dough
allows the heat to evenly penetrate the dessert
, which helps it bake evenly. Making sure your shortbread is evenly cooked through will ensure that you don’t end up with parts that are still not entirely cooked and some parts that are overcooked and dry.
Butter cookies are
very similar to shortbread
, with the main variation being an increase in sugar. In addition to making them taste awesome, the higher ratio of sugar to butter means a butter cookie is cookie-cutter-ready and bakes beautifully without any tendency to crumble.
Fat. Shortening and
butter make cookies tender
. When mixed into flour, fat coats some of the flour and protects it from the liquid in some recipes. This prevents gluten from developing, making the cookies more tender and less chewy.
Shortbread is almost always thicker and denser than a
sugar
cookie. It also contains more butter, so the taste is richer.
- ONE. Chocolate Chip Cookies. Is it really any surprise that the most iconic cookie in the US is #1? …
- TWO. Peanut Butter Cookies. …
- THREE. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. …
- FOUR. Peanut Butter Blossoms. …
- FIVE. Sugar Cookies. …
- SIX. Classic No-Bake Cookies. …
- SEVEN. Molasses Cookies. …
- EIGHT. Macaroons.
What happens if you put too much butter in shortbread?
Using too much butter will:
Cause your cookie to spread out way too much during baking
.
Cause your cookie to brown
.
Shortbread should always have a
tender, melting texture
, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. … The pan is made of metal but also has low sides so should have fairly good heat distribution while the shortbread bakes.
Warm cookie dough or excess butter
will cause the cookies to spread too much, baking quickly on the outside but remaining raw in the middle. Next time, chill your cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them. If the problem persists, use less butter.
