Brown Sugar Shortbread Cookies | Kitchen At Hoskins (2024)

Why you'll love them?

1. Only 3 ingredients
2. Crisp, crumbly yet light and tender.
3. No rolling pin or cookie cutters.
4. One mixing bowl.
5. Another egg-free cookie recipe.
6. Not-overly-sweet.

• Brown Sugar - Just 6 tablespoons of golden brown sugar adds so much molasses flavor. Like the eggless oatmeal cookies, light or dark brown sugar may easily be substituted here!
• Butter - It is the base of most eggless cookie recipes. It brings to dough together, adds flavor and that irresistible buttery flavor.
• All purpose flour - I tested varying amounts of flour and found 1 cup ofall purpose flour produces sturdy, yet tender brown sugar shortbread.

Variations

This brown sugar shortbread cookie recipe does not use any flavorings such as vanilla extract, cinnamon or cardamom, which makes it a 3 ingredient recipe. However, here are few variation suggestions to try -

1. Mix in ground cinnamon along with flour.
2. Replace some of the flour with finely minced walnuts or toasted pecans.
3. Like the chocolate coconut macaroons, dip one half of each cooled brown sugar shortbread in melted dark or milk chocolate and place in a parchment paper until set. Alternatively, drizzle the melted chocolate using a fork on the cooled cookies.
4. Sandwich to baked cookies with melted chocolate, ganache or jam.
5. Add vanilla or almond extract to the dough.
6. Sprinkle some coarse sugar on top of the brown sugar shortbread before baking.

1. Add butter, brown sugar and salt into a medium bowl, beat with an electric beater for 1 to 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.

2 & 3. Add flour and continue beating, on low speed, until the dough looks crumbly.

4 & 5. Using hands, shape dough into a smooth ball.

6. Shape the brown sugar shortbread dough into a 10- to 11-inch log, wrap it with parchment paper, refrigerate it for a minimum of 6 hours, or chill it for up to 2 days.

Tip: Like for the Santa's whiskers cookies, skipping the chilling process can result in significant spreading, causing the shortbread to lose its intended shape and texture.

7. Remove the log from the fridge and cut it into ¼-inch thick slices using a sharp knife.

8. Place slices on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 to 21 minutes, until golden brown in color.

How to store?

• Storing baked cookies - Place cooled brown sugar shortbread cookies in an airtight container or zipper bag and store them at room temperature for up to a week.
• Storing cookie dough - Wrapped dough log can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
• Freeze baked cookies - Place shortbreads in freezer safe zipper bag and freeze for up to two months.
• Freeze dough - Wrap the log tightly in two layers of plastic wrap, place it in a freezer-safe zipper bag, and freeze for up to a month. Transfer the dough to the fridge the night before making cookies.

Helpful tips

• Any brown sugar will work for this recipe. However, I prefer golden brown sugar for a balanced molasses flavor.
• Chilling the dough is key for any slice and bake cookie recipe.
• If using salted butter, you can omit adding the salt to the recipe.

What is the difference between shortbread and sugar cookies?

How to make the dough by hand?

1. Place butter and brown sugar in a bowl.
2. Using a wooden spoon, cream for about 3 minutes or until fluffy.
3. Stir in all purpose flour and continue mixing with the spoon.
4. Shape, roll, chill, slice and bake as per instructions.

What does brown sugar do to cookies?

Brown sugar, with its molasses content, infuses a subtle caramel flavor, offering a distinctive depth to cookies. Its moisture content contributes to softer, denser, and chewier cookies compared to those made only with white sugar. Additionally, the molasses imparts a darker hue to the cookies, setting them apart from those made exclusively with white sugar.