Irish Butter Shortbread
Arán Gairid·(uh-rawn gah-rid)
"Cupan Tae" & The Biscuit Tin (Afternoon Rituals)
If there is a scent that defines an Irish grandmother’s kitchen, it is the intoxicating aroma of premium butter hitting hot flour. While shortbread has Scottish roots, the Irish perfected it by leaning heavily into their native, grass-fed dairy and a generous handful of cornstarch for an impossibly tender, melt-in-the-mouth crumb. Forget the fuss of rolling pins and cookie cutters on a busy Tuesday night. Pressed directly into a pan and scored into rustic wedges, this is a straightforward, unpretentious biscuit built entirely around the quality of its butter.
Before you start
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
A low, slow bake is essential to dry out the shortbread without browning it.
Prepare your baking pan.
Lightly butter an 8-inch or 9-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom, or line an 8x8-inch square pan with a parchment paper sling.
Ingredients
- Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter (Salted)1 cup
- superfine sugar1/2 cup
- unbleached all-purpose flour1 1/2 cup
- cornstarch1/2 cup
- superfine sugar1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
In a large bowl, beat the softened Kerrygold butter and the half-cup of superfine sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Dissolving the sugar into the fat is what gives the biscuit its fine texture, so do not rush this process.
- 02
Fold in the dry ingredients.
Sift the all-purpose flour and cornstarch directly into the butter mixture. Turn your mixer to the lowest possible speed or switch to a wooden spoon, mixing just until the dough comes together in crumbly clumps. Stop immediately, as overworking develops gluten, which is the enemy of a tender shortbread.
- 03
Press the dough into the prepared pan.
Dump the crumbly dough into the pan and use your fingers or the flat bottom of a dry measuring cup to press it firmly and evenly into a smooth layer.
- 04
Score and prick the dough.
Using a sharp knife, gently score the surface into 12 to 16 wedges, cutting only halfway down. Prick the dough all over with a fork to allow steam to escape and prevent the shortbread from bubbling as it bakes.
- 05
Bake until pale and set.
Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes. The shortbread should be a uniform pale golden color, never browned or toasted.
- 06
Cut and sugar the warm shortbread.
Remove the pan from the oven and, while it is still piping hot, cut all the way through your pre-scored lines. Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining tablespoon of superfine sugar.
- 07
Cool completely in the pan.
The shortbread will be incredibly fragile while warm but will crisp up beautifully as the butter sets. Once completely cold, remove from the pan, break into wedges, and serve.
Notes
Use only premium Irish butter.
The quality of the butter is the entire backbone of this recipe. Standard American butter contains too much water and too little fat, which will yield a tough cookie.
Salted butter eliminates the need for extra salt.
In the Irish farmhouse tradition, salted butter is the default for both table and baking, amplifying the rich dairy notes perfectly without requiring additional seasoning.
Store in an airtight tin.
The biscuits will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks, often developing a deeper, more pronounced buttery flavor after the first day.
From Cook Irish-American Food.