Shortbread cookie occurs as nature and severity of biscuit (US: cookie) which is traditionally mass produced from either a single a share sugar, two area butter and three area flour, although other ingredients such as ground rice or cornflour (America: cornflour) come occasionally added to vary a texture. These are baked at the great temperature to keep away from browning; once cooked it should exist as white or even the lightly golden black. Shortbread cookie is usually associated by having Scotland although it is processed around Denmark and in more countries.

Shortbread cookie is generally formed into a single of leash shapes: one big circle, which is divided into segments when soon when these are taken away from a oven ("Petticoat Tails"); individual spherical biscuits ("Shortbread Rounds"); or even even the heavy (¾" or 2 cm) rectangular slab which is cut into fingers (simply "Fingers"). It is made from a stiff dough which retains its shape well during cooking. The biscuits are often patterned, especially with the prongs of a fork before cooking, then sprinkled with more sugar while cooling.

Shortbread biscuits are often found in biscuit selections, or made by hand and given as gifts. They have a sweet, buttery taste, and a firm but crumbly texture, and are suitable for dunking. Shortbread and tablet (a type of crumbly fudge) can be found in every tourist shop in Scotland, and are just as popular with the locals.

Shortbread biscuits are not to be confused with either sweetbreads, which are cooked mammal thymus glands or pancreas, or with shortcake, which is similar to Shortbread but made using vegetable fat instead of butter, giving it a different texture.