Hungarian Shortbread Recipe

Here’s a classic Hungarian Shortbread—also called Hungarian Tea Cakes—rich, tender, and layered with jam.

Hungarian Shortbread Recipe

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

• 1 cup fruit jam or preserves
  (apricot, raspberry, or plum are traditional)

Topping

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. Cream butter & sugar
   Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla.

3. Add flour
   Gradually mix in flour until a soft dough forms.

4. Press first layer
   Press ⅔ of the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.

5. Add jam
   Spread jam evenly over the dough.

6. Top layer
   Crumble remaining dough over the jam.

7. Bake
   Bake 35–40 minutes, until lightly golden.

8. Cool & dust
   Let cool completely, then dust generously with powdered sugar.

9. Slice
   Cut into squares or bars.

Tips for Best Results

• Do not overbake—shortbread should be pale, not dark

• Chill dough briefly if it feels too soft

• These bars taste even better the next day

Variations

• Add lemon zest to the dough

• Use seedless preserves for smoother layers

• Sprinkle chopped nuts on top before baking

If you want, I can also share the traditional grated-dough method, a smaller batch, or the original Hungarian-style proportions