Theyre perfectly crisp and oh-so buttery.

These cookies are perfect for afternoon tea and would make a lovely treat to share with friends or neighbors.

It starts with creaming softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together.

short bread cookies

Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

A hand mixer or a stand mixer makes quick work of mixing the dough.

Next, youll add a pinch of salt and the all-purpose flour in increments.

Youll roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and then stamp it out into two-inch round cookies.

short bread cookies on a sheet pan

Simply Recipes / Meghan Splawn

After cutting out the rounds, move them to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for chilling and then baking.

After docking, sprinkle the cookies with a bit more granulated sugar and refrigerate them for 20 minutes.

This is a perfect amount of time to preheat the oven.

The cookies are baked until slightly puffed and then cooled to crispness on a cooling rack.

The finished shortbread is sublimebuttery and not too sweet, with the perfect crispy texture.

Despite their thin size, these cookies are surprisingly sturdy.

While my family enjoyed them as an after-school snack with tea, the recipe made a lot.

GET THE COOKBOOK:Cooking and the Crownby Tom Parker Bowles