Crunchy polenta shortbread with the most amazing bite, taste and texture. Perfect on their own, with a cup of tea, or to dip into gloopy desserts.
This is a super easy shortbread recipe, because we just chuck all the ingredients into a stand mixer and then press it directly into the pan and bake. Some recipes call for rolling out the dough with a rolling pin, but I have never seen the point. All that does is create a beautiful even layer of polenta shortbread on your worktop.
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📖 Ingredients List
The ingredients for polenta shortbread are all pantry basics, but I have added a few notes to make sure you get the best out of this recipe.
- Unsalted butter - The better the quality of your butter, the better your polenta shortbread will taste. I use European-style butter with at least 82% fat content. Cut it into cubes and allow it to soften at room temperature before using it in this polenta shortbread recipe.
- White granulated sugar - Fine sugar (also known as caster sugar) is ideal.
- All-purpose flour - All purpose flour, or plain flour is best for this recipe.
- Polenta - Polenta is coarsely ground cornmeal with a yellow color. It can be used in a variety of ways, but I like baking with it because it gives a really great texture. Using polenta flour in shortbread adds a deeper color as well as a really crunchy bite.
See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step directions on how to make shortbread with polenta.
👩🏼🍳 How to make shortbread
Before you begin:
- Preheat your oven to 300℉/150℃ (no fan). Always bake in a preheated oven!
- Grease the baking tin, and line it with baking parchment paper.
- Make sure the butter is softened and a bit sticky but we don't want melted butter.
- Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
Put the softened butter, sugar, both flours, and a pinch of salt into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low speed for 20 seconds before turning it up to medium speed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the side of the bowl so it catches everything if needed.
After 1-2 minutes, a lumpy dough will form. Do not overmix. Put the shortbread dough into the prepared baking tin.
Use a fist to press the dough into the tin, and then use the back of a spoon to smooth dough surface. Score cutting lines into the compressed dough and prick the surface all over with a fork. Bake shortbread for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Remove the polenta shortbread from the oven and immediately cut through the scored lines with a sharp knife or pastry cutter to form them while still soft. Then leave them to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.
🌟 Top Tip
Use the edges of the parchment baking paper to lift the sheet of shortbread out of the tin once it has cooled.
👩🏼🍳 Chef's Tips & Serving suggestions
I love serving this crunchy, buttery shortbread recipe with desserts like a classic gooseberry fool, crumbled on top of ice cream, or with a bowl of plain yogurt. Alternatively, they make a great addition to an afternoon tea spread! You don't have to cut rectangles or squares, you can use cutters to make flower shapes or anything else you prefer.
You can easily add vanilla extract, lemon zest, or orange zest to the dough to give it a bit of added flavor to your polenta shortbread.
🍷 Wine pairing for shortbread
I'd serve shortbread with a rosé sparkling wine, perhaps a rosé Prosecco or a rosé Crémant de Loire. The fizz and acidity will cut through the buttery, crunchy texture of the shortbread and bring out the biscuity flavors.
Read more food and wine pairing tips to make the most of your meals!
❄️ Storage & Freezing
Store shortbread cookies in an airtight container and consume them within 3-4 days.
You can freeze shortbread baked, or freeze the raw dough, too. Wrap the dough or baked shortbread in a piece of cling film (plastic wrap) and use within 3 months.
🥣 Equipment
Always weigh ingredients on a digital scale for best results. I use a Stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment to mix the shortbread dough, but you can also do it by hand in a mixing bowl if you prefer this method over an electric mixer.
This quantity is perfect for a 9x13 baking pan, you can divide dough between smaller pans if you prefer, but you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. I use a spoon to smooth the dough in the tin so it has a completely flat surface. Check you are baking at the right temperature by using an Oven thermometer. Most errors arise from an oven that is either too hot or too cold!
❓Recipe FAQ
Use good quality butter with a high-fat content (at least 82%), and do not overwork the dough.
This allows for heat to get into the dough, and creates a more even bake.
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Have you tried this recipe?
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear how it went! Please leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well. Your feedback helps other readers and is greatly appreciated.
📖 Recipe
Crunchy Polenta Shortbread
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 227 grams (1 cup) Unsalted butter softened, minimum 82% fat
- 227 grams (2 cups - 3 tablespoons) All-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 110 grams (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Coarse Polenta flour
- 110 grams (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) Fine white sugar (caster sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300℉/150℃ (no fan). Grease the baking tin, then line it with baking parchment paper.
- Put the softened butter, sugar, and flours into a food processor fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Blend the shortbread ingredients on low speed for 10-20 seconds, then on medium for 1-2 minutes until a lumpy dough forms.
- Press the shortbread dough into the lined baking tin and smooth off the top with the back of a spoon. Score the surface with cutting lines and prick all over with a fork.
- Bake the polenta shortbread for 40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Move the pan onto a wire cooling rack, and immediately cut through the scored lines to the base of the tin again to form the cookies while it is in the pan but still soft. Leave to cool completely.
- Lift the shortbread out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper, cut through the cookies again if needed, and serve.
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