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    Home » Cakes and Desserts » Biscuits and cookies

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    Cherry Shortbread

    Cherry Shortbread biscuits are a big favourite with all ages, and they're always one of the first to disappear from the biscuit plate. Shape the dough into a log and slice for minimum effort.

    Jump to Recipe
    Four cherry shortbread biscuits on a pink and green patterned plate. A cup of tea and large plate of biscuits are in the background.
    Cherry Shortbread

    Cherry Shortbread is a combination of two favourite teatime treats - and another recipe from my collection of cherry cakes and bakes.

    Key ingredients in Cherry Shortbread

    The classic, traditional shortbread recipe uses 1 part sugar, 2 parts butter, and 3 parts flour. This recipe for Cherry Shortbread sticks with the basics, just adding chopped glacé cherries.

    Ring the changes

    Change the texture of shortbread biscuits

    You can substitute 50g ground rice or semolina for flour to give a crunchier texture or 50g rice flour to give a softer texture.

    Make square biscuits

    Cooked cherry shortbread square in a baking tin

    Press the dough into a 20cm (8-inch) square tin and cook for 30-35 minutes. Mark into squares when you take the tin out of the oven and cut up when cold.

    Make golden shortbread biscuits

    Use soft light brown sugar instead of caster sugar for a golden coloured biscuit.

    Stack of four Cherry Shortbread biscuits with one in the background
    Square Cherry Shortbread biscuits

    Secrets of success

    Refrigerate the dough

    The most important thing to remember with shortbread is that the more you handle it the warmer it gets and the butter will turn oily. By chilling the dough in a sausage shape and slicing it into rounds instead of cutting it out, you will avoid this problem.

    2 rolls of Cherry Shortbread dough. One is wrapped in beeswax wrap with the ends in small glasses
    Dough rolls

    Wrap the dough sausages in clingfilm or beeswax wraps and put the ends into tumblers so that they keep their shape.

    Slices of Cherry Shortbread dough on a baking sheet before cooking
    Sliced biscuits before cooking

    The biscuits won't spread very much in cooking if they are cold when they go in the oven. These are about 4cm in diameter and 5mm thick.

    Make-ahead tips

    Make the dough a few days early

    Make the dough and shape it into logs before refrigerating for up to 3 days. Or you can keep the prepared biscuits in the fridge for a day before baking. Best to put the biscuits on a silicone mat or liner. If you refrigerate the baking tray the biscuits take longer to cook.

    Freeze the dough

    You can freeze the dough logs for a month before using them. Defrost only until you can easily slice them. The shortbread biscuits may need a few minutes extra cooking time - but check as usual.

    Four cherry shortbread biscuits on a pink and green patterned plate
    Cherry Shortbread

    How long do Cherry Shortbread biscuits keep?

    Like most biscuits and cookies, shortbread keeps for at least a week in an airtight box or tin.

    What equipment do you need?

    You will need two baking sheets, which I like to line with a silicone baking mat or magic liner to prevent sticking.

    If you like this...

    ...Why don't you try:

    Squares of Chocolate Shortbread on a white plate

    Chocolate Shortbread

    Chocolate Shortbread biscuits are easy to make and good for tea or the lunchbox.
    Iced Almond Shortbread on a grey plate

    Almond Shortbread

    Almond Shortbread is a nutty version of a traditional teatime favourite. Add some icing to make this a special treat that's easy and quick to make.
    Ginger Shortbread with ginger fudge icing on a patterned plate.

    Ginger Shortbread

    Ginger Shortbread uses ground ginger in the biscuit and fudge icing to give this traditional shortbread recipe a warm spice flavour.
    4 pieces of Christmas Shortbread part coated in white chocolate, on a china plate.

    Christmas Shortbread

    Cranberry and orange Christmas Shortbread dipped in white chocolate. Quick and easy to make.

    Stockists

    Aluminium baking sheet with one lipped edge

    Baking Sheet

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    3 silicone baking mats

    Silicone baking mat

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    Magic liner cut to fit baking tins and pans

    Magic liner

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    Selectionof beeswax wraps in assorted patterns and sizes.

    Beeswax wraps

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    Hover over any picture on the page and hit the Save button to pin the image to one of your Pinterest boards.

    Stacks of square and round Cherry Shortbread biscuits
    Stack of three Cherry Shortbread biscuits with more in the background
    Print Recipe
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    Cherry Shortbread

    Buttery round shortbread biscuits full of cherries.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Chilling time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Teatime
    Cuisine: British
    Keyword: shortbread, teatime
    Servings: 20
    Author: [email protected] Cooks

    Ingredients

    • 200 g butter at room temperature
    • 100 g caster sugar
    • 300 g plain/all-purpose flour
    • Pinch of salt
    • 120 g glacé cherries, quartered
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    Equipment

    Aluminium baking sheet with one lipped edge
    Baking sheet
    Three Silicone Baking Mats in various sizes
    Silicone baking mat OR
    Magic Liner
    Selectionof beeswax wraps in assorted patterns and sizes.
    Beeswax wraps
    or
    Clingfilm

    Instructions

    Preparation:

    • Line 2 baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or magic line
    • Quarter the cherries
      120 g glacé cherries,

    For the Cherry Shortbread:

    • In a food processor,  blitz the butter, sugar, flour and pinch of salt until the mixture begins to clump together. The mixture won't be a solid lump so pull it together with your hands
      200 g butter, 300 g plain/all-purpose flour, Pinch of salt, 100 g caster sugar
    • Add the cherries and mix in with a spoon or your hands.
      Divide the mixture into two and roll each half into a log about 4cm in diameter. Put each end in a a small glass to keep the round shape.
      Cool in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
      120 g glacé cherries,
    • Preheat the oven to 170°C/ 150°C fan/ gas mark 3/ 325°F
    • Take each log of dough and cut into slices, about ½ cm (¼ inch) thick
    • Bake the shortbread for 25-30 min or until barely golden
    • Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes then move to a wire cooling rack
    • Store in an airtight tin in a cool place for up to a week.

    Video

    More Biscuits and cookies

    • Apricot Oat Bars
    • Almond Shortbread
    • Christmas Shortbread
    • Mincemeat Pinwheels

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    Hi, I'm Susie. Mostly I love cooking and baking, but combining work and home life often leaves me feeling that providing healthy, tasty food for my family is a chore. On those days I am decidedly an Everyday Cook...

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