# What makes shortbread. . . shortbread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 23, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-shortbread-shortbread/954810 "2021-11-23T14:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-shortbread-shortbread/954810/1 "2021-11-23T14:37:10Z")
Inspired by this thread: [Why is shortbread so expensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-shortbread-so-expensive/954401) It struck me that there are plenty of manufactured cookies that are pretty “short” but they’re not shortbread to me. But. . . What defines shortbread? There are plenty of cookies that have lots of butter. Are vanilla wafers shortbread? They seem short to me but I wouldn’t call them shortbread. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-shortbread-shortbread/954810/2 "2021-11-23T14:51:36Z")
> 1. Shortbread is called short because of the traditional ratio of one part sugar to two parts butter that lends a high fat content to the dough. This yields a soft, buttery crumb that melts in your mouth, similar to short crust pastry. This ratio is also what makes shortbread so crave-worthy. > **[A Short History of Shortbread - Bake from Scratch](https://bakefromscratch.com/a-short-history-of-shortbread/)** > > Do you know why we call shortbread "short"? Did you know that shortbread has existed in Scotland since the Middle Ages? And did you know that shortbread is one of the stars of our 2018 November/December issue? We bet you don't know as much as you... ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2021, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-shortbread-shortbread/954810/3 "2021-11-23T16:22:40Z")
I’m sure I could make a cookie with that ratio of sugar/butter that you would NOT consider shortbread. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2021, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-makes-shortbread-shortbread/954810/4 "2021-11-24T11:18:19Z")
Shortbread is also unleavened, unlike most cakes and biscuits.