Skip to content
Open menu Close menu

Feed your appetite for cooking with Penguin’s expert authors

penguin logo

The Very Best Shortbread

A buttery and delicious shortbread recipe from Mary Berry. The secret ingredient is semolina for that extra crunch! Finish with a sprinkle of demerara sugar.

From the book

Introduction

For a really good shortbread it is essential to use butter. I like to use semolina as well as flour to give the shortbread crunch, but you can use cornflour or ground rice instead.

Read more Read less

Ingredients

225g (8oz) plain flour
100g (4oz) semolina
225g (8oz) butter
100g (4oz) caster sugar
50g (2oz) flaked almonds (optional)
25g (1oz) demerara sugar, for dusting

Essential kit

You will need a 30 x 23cm (12 x 9in) traybake or roasting tin.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/gas 3.

Lightly grease a 30cm x 23cm roasting or traybake tin.

Mix together the flour and semolina in a bowl or food processor. Add the butter and sugar and rub together with your fingertips until the mixture is just beginning to bind together. Knead lightly until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

Press the dough into the prepared tin and level it with the back of a spatula or a palette knife, making sure the mixture is evenly spread. Prick all over with a fork, sprinkle over the flaked almonds if using, and chill until firm.

Bake for about 35 minutes or until a very pale golden brown. Sprinkle with demerara sugar and leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then cut into 30 fingers.

Carefully lift the fingers out of the tin with a palette knife and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight tin.

Reviews

4 out of 5 stars

7 Ratings

Have you tried this recipe? Let us know how it went by leaving a comment below.

Please note: Moderation is enabled and may delay your comment being posted. There is no need to resubmit your comment. By posting a comment you are agreeing to the website Terms of Use.

7 Comments

    default user avatar Susan

    45 minutes and it’s still not changed colour. Gave up waiting and have tasted – very nice. Cut into 12, 30 pieces would be crumbs. Disappointing for a Mary Berry recipe.

    See more

    default user avatar Maureen

    Perfect everytime

    See more

    default user avatar Bobbie

    It is the best Shortbread recipe. I put mixture in flan tin when mixture just binding together. Never bothered with the kneading. I also cool flan tin.
    Excellent just with sugar on or to make it different, and very edible, finely drizzle over with melted chocolate.

    See more

    default user avatar Vicky

    How do I get the finger shapes just says press into the baking tray

    See more

    default user avatar Jane

    I don’t think you are supposed to get a dough to roll out (see previous review)
    Just press into tin and bake delicious

    See more

    default user avatar Jacqui

    I just couldn’t get the mixture to form a dough, it was impossible 🤷‍♀️

    See more

    default user avatar Ursula Metselaar

    I love this recipe. It’s simple and straightforward. I used cornflour as I didn’t have any semolina. The first batch was very well received.
    My second batch is now in the oven, with chocolate chips.

    See more

newsletter

Subscribe to The Happy Foodie email newsletter

Get our latest recipes, features, book news and ebook deals straight to your inbox every week

From the book: My Kitchen Table: 100 Cakes and Bakes

Close menu