Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Shortbread

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Shortbread is an easy buttery cookie made with browned Irish butter, confectioners' sugar and flour, ready in 2 hours 35 minutes. Try this simple shortbread recipe for Christmas cookie trays, holiday gifting or tea time, since it's make-ahead friendly and keeps for 2 weeks.

Chill the browned butter over an ice-water bath until it thickens to the texture of room-temperature butter. If you skip that, the dough turns greasy and the shortbread loses its tender, sandy crumb.

Martha browns the butter until deep golden and whisks in a splash of milk, which gives the cookies a nutty, caramel-like flavor. Then she bakes the shortbread low and slow at 300°F, so the wedges turn golden without any bitterness.

Martha Stewart Brown-Butter Shortbread

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Course: DessertCuisine: American, IrishDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

35

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

430

kcal

Browned butter gives these wedges a tender, sandy crumb with a toasty, nutty flavor. A coarse sugar topping adds a light crunch, and the low, slow bake keeps the color pale and golden.

Ingredients

• 9 ounces salted Irish butter, preferably Kerry Gold, or regular salted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
  

• 2 tablespoons nonfat milk
  

• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  

• 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar or granulated sugar
  

Directions

• Brown the butter: Set a medium metal bowl in an ice-water bath, then melt 9 ounces salted butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly for about 8 minutes until it turns deep golden brown.
• Chill the butter: Pour the butter right into the chilled bowl and whisk in 2 tablespoons nonfat milk. Then stir with a rubber spatula for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides, until it begins to thicken.
• Let it set: Lift the bowl out of the ice-water bath and let it stand for about 30 minutes. It's ready when it looks like room-temperature butter.
• Make the dough: Beat the butter mixture on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until pale and fluffy. Gradually add 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beat for 2 more minutes, then reduce the speed to low and mix in 2 cups flour.
• Press into the pan: Butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, then press the dough evenly into the base using plastic wrap. A small offset spatula helps you get it flat before it chills, covered, for 20 minutes.
• Cut and prick: Preheat the oven to 300°F, then cut the dough into 8 wedges with a sharp paring knife and a ruler. Cut a round from the center with a 2 1/4-inch cutter and discard it. Return the cutter to the hole, prick the wedges all over with a wooden skewer, then chill for 20 more minutes.
• Bake the shortbread: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar evenly over the top. Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown.
• Cool and slice: Cool the shortbread in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Cut along the lines into wedges and let them cool completely on the rack.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer, Pyrex 9.5-inch glass pie plate, Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract, 8 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How long does brown butter shortbread keep?

Stored in an airtight container, the wedges keep for up to 2 weeks, according to the recipe notes. Keep them at room temperature, since the fridge can dull the buttery flavor.

Do I have to use Irish butter?

Regular salted butter works if that's what you have. Martha recommends a high butterfat, European-style butter like Kerry Gold, because the flavor really shows in a recipe with so few ingredients.

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

The dough chills in the pan for 20 minutes twice before baking, so you can do all of that earlier in the day. Keep it covered with plastic wrap in the fridge, then bake it straight from the pan.

What can I use if I don't have a fluted tart pan?

A 10-inch round cake pan or springform pan will work in a pinch, though you lose the fluted edges. Butter it well and line the bottom with parchment, so the shortbread slides out cleanly.

What's the most common mistake with this shortbread?

Rushing the butter is the big one. If it hasn't thickened like room-temperature butter before you beat it, the dough comes out greasy. Then the cookies spread instead of staying tender and sandy.