It is unlikely that there is a recipe that is closer to my heart than the original of this recipe. It is my Grandmother's shortbread recipe, and for me, embodies everything that is the holidays. My Grandparents used to live right on the beach, and we used to go and stay with them for six weeks every summer. I am the second youngest of 18 grandchildren, and my Grandma was most definitely the head of the family. I have so many incredible memories filled with noisy family gatherings, lots of laughs, and loads of food. Coming from a big family who always had communal meals most definitely cemented in me that food was made for sharing with those who you love, and is something that will be with me for the rest of my life.

My Grandma was the biggest advocate of showing love through food. She was not only an incredible cook, but you could tell that what made her happiest was providing food to those she loved. And her shortbread. My goodness, it really was something else. There was always a big jar of it in her pantry, and it seemed that it was always full. It used to come out every time a cup of tea was had (which in my family is fairly often). It was an absolute favourite with all members of the family. An even bigger treat was being allowed to help her make it. I got some of my love of baking from her, with many many happy hours spent standing on a chair pulled up to the bench, eating as much of the mixture as I could while helping mix the bowl.

I now have my Grandma's recipe book, and it is easily one of my most treasured possessions. Most of the recipes are hand written in her loopy writing, and there is something about the way that the method is written out that means that when I read it back to myself, I can hear her saying it.

This shortbread recipe actually came from my Great Great Grandmother. I have tweaked it slightly with the addition of Earl Grey, which adds a delicate floral flavour without being too overpowering. The earl grey flavour comes from very finely ground tea leaves, accented with a little bergamot extract (which is totally optional, I am a die hard earl grey fan so love having a strong flavour in there). I initially tried infusing the butter with tea, which produced a crazy green butter, but also shortbread with a weirdly wet exterior, which I think was due to the tea absorbing the water in the butter, which changed the consistency of the butter, resulting in a strange shortbread. Ground tea and bergamot extract yielded a much nicer finish.

For regular shortbread which is just as amazing as it's earl grey counterpart, omit the ground tea and bergamot extract.

I am so excited to be participating in the #calmandbrightcookienight virtual cookie party, which is hosted by the lovely Natalie and Holly of The Modern Proper! This year over 30 bloggers are participating, and you can check out the other posts either on TMP's own post, or by searching the hashtag on instagram.

Made this recipe and love it?

If you made this recipe then I would LOVE for you to leave me a review below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram if you make it!

A note on salt and oven temperature

It is important to note the type of salt that is called for in a recipe. I use Diamond Crystal salt throughout my recipes - if you use a different sort of kosher salt or regular table salt you will need to adjust accordingly as some salt is 'saltier' than others. Morton's salt is twice as salty, so you will need half the quantity. Same goes for a regular table salt. I am working to get gram measurements throughout my recipes for salt but still getting there.

All oven temperatures are conventional unless otherwise stated. If you are baking on fan / convection, you will need to adjust the temperature. An oven thermometer is a great investment to ensure that your oven is the correct temperature.

Using the double / triple function in the recipe card

You will notice that there is a '1X' '2X' '3X' button in my recipe card. This can be used for doubling or tripling a recipe. However, please note that this only doubles the ingredient quantities in the ingredients list and NOT in the method. If there are quantities or pan sizes in the method of the recipe (for example weigh out 150g brown butter), you will need to scale this number manually. It will also not change the baking time in the recipe so you will need to adjust this yourself too. It is always a good idea to read through a recipe fully before doubling it just to check this. If you would like to scale this recipe or convert for another pan size, use my calculator!

Tools and equipment

For a list of my go-to tools and equipment, I have a post you can refer to here.

Why is this recipe in grams?

I post my recipes in grams as it is the most accurate way to bake. Cups are not only inaccurate but they vary in volume worldwide. There is no way for me to provide one cup measure that works for everyone. However, posting in weight fixes this issue. If you would like the recipe in cups you are welcome to convert it yourself via google, but please do not ask me to do it for you as I am not comfortable providing a recipe using a method that I have not tested. Baking with a scale is easy, accurate, and also makes cleanup super simple. Here is the scale that I use if you would like a recommendation! Here's to accurate baking!