Shortbread cookies are a holiday classic, and Sandy French’s now-famous "CBC Shortbread" stands out for its heartwarming story and unbeatable flavour.
This cherished shortbread recipe, passed down from Sandy’s grandmother in Aberdeen, Scotland, gained widespread fame in 2012 when Sandy won a Christmas baking contest on CBC Radio's Daybreak South. Host Chris Walker shared the recipe with listeners, and it quickly became a beloved favorite among home bakers.
In 2023, the recipe made headlines again when bakers discovered they could no longer access it on the radio show’s Facebook page due to Meta’s ban on Canadian media. In response, Chris Walker invited listeners to email the station to receive the recipe. The result? Over 500 requests flooded in, ensuring this timeless recipe continued to spread far and wide.
With so much buzz, we couldn’t resist trying it ourselves. While the 15 minutes of kneading might feel a bit fussy, the buttery flavour and perfect short texture make it well worth the effort.
Our twist? Instead of rolling and cutting, we shaped the dough into small balls and indented them with a sugar-dipped wooden spoon. Simple, festive, and just as delicious! We've also played around with topping the biscuits with glacé cherries and festive sprinkles. We dipped a batch in melted chocolate and while lovely, this classic shortbread is just right all on its own.
Tips:
- Use the very best butter you can afford
- Don't be tempted to skip the "kneading"! It builds the texture—Sandy recommends a warm kitchen and warm hands. We will say, that after making several batches of these, we wouldn't call what we were doing kneading. We more squished and scooped with one hand, but we stuck with it for the full 15 minutes. According to Sandy, the dough should feel like "warm, greasy pizza dough". In our attempts, the dough never came together like pizza dough and it didn't look like something we'd want to try to roll out. Hence our brilliant adaptation of rolling and pressing! We were very surprised that these hand-warmed dough balls retained their shape without chilling—but they do! We did test a batch beating the dough on low for 15 mins in a stand mixer and finished with a few minutes of warm hand squishing. To be honest, we didn't detect much of a difference. Shh, don't tell Sandy.
- Don't over-bake—shortbread should be BARELY golden on the bottom
- Aging: make ahead and store them in an airtight container in a cool space for at least 2 weeks—a month is better
INGREDIENTS
1 cup rice flour = 120 grams1 ½ cups regular or gluten-free flour = 180 grams
1/2 lb. butter = 227 grams
½ cup berry sugar (not icing sugar) = 100 grams
METHOD
Preheat oven to 325 F | line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flours and mix in sugar
Cut in the butter, then "knead" (see tips) the dough for about 15 minutes or until mixture is soft and buttery.
Use a cookie scoop or pull off small equal portions of cookie dough and roll into small balls
Press the end of the handle of a wooden spoon dipped in sugar to make an indent in the balls of dough. Decorate with cherries, festive sprinkles, a bit of sugar, or leave plain.
Bake at 325 F for 20-25 minutes—be sure to check at 15 minutes as all ovens behave differently. You want the bottoms just barely golden brown. Don't overbake and remember cookies continue to bake/set-up for a minute or two on the cookie sheet.
Pop fully-cooled shortbread into an airtight container and refrigerate or store in a cool spot for 4-8 weeks before eating.