Classic Christmas Shortbread

Indulge in the festive magic of the holiday season with these irresistibly buttery and melt-in-your-mouth Christmas Shortbread Cookies – a timeless staple that promises to delight everyone on your cookie plate!

The holiday season is synonymous with warmth, joy, and of course, an abundance of delicious homemade treats. If you’re aiming to assemble the ultimate festive cookie platter this year, these Christmas Shortbread Cookies are an absolute must-have. Their delicate texture and rich, buttery flavor make them a perfect counterpoint to chewier or more elaborately decorated confections. Imagine them nestled amongst a vibrant assortment of Soft Ginger Cookies, elegant Meringue Cookies, and classic Sugar Cookies – a spread guaranteed to bring smiles to every face at your holiday gathering. These easy shortbread cookies are not just a recipe; they’re an invitation to create cherished memories in your kitchen.

The Enduring Charm of Classic Shortbread Cookies

While my heart undeniably gravitates towards the soft, chewy, and gooey delights that often dominate holiday baking, there’s an undeniable allure to a simple, traditional shortbread cookie. What makes easy shortbread cookies so special? It’s their understated elegance. They aren’t overtly sweet, allowing the pure, rich flavor of butter to shine through. Each bite is a perfectly balanced experience – tender, subtly sweet, and wonderfully satisfying without being heavy. On a diverse cookie platter, these melt-in-your-mouth treats act as a sophisticated anchor, providing a delightful contrast to richer, more complex flavors and textures.

These particular Christmas Shortbread Cookies transcend mere deliciousness; they are also incredibly charming. Dressed up with festive red, green, and white sprinkles, they transform into adorable “two-bite” cookies that perfectly capture the spirit of the season. Their petite size makes them ideal for snacking, sharing, and ensuring everyone gets to sample a wide array of holiday treats. It’s a recipe that has earned its permanent spot in my annual holiday baking tradition, and I’m confident it will become a cherished part of yours too.

Why Shortbread Holds a Special Place in Holiday Baking

Shortbread cookies boast a history as rich as their flavor, originating from Scotland as early as the 12th century. Traditionally, they were a luxury, reserved for special occasions like Christmas and Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve). Their simple yet profound deliciousness has allowed them to endure through centuries, becoming a beloved classic across the globe. For holiday bakers, shortbread offers a unique appeal:

• Simplicity: With a minimal list of ingredients, shortbread is a testament to the idea that sometimes less is truly more. This simplicity makes them an approachable baking project, even for beginners.
• Versatility: While delightful on their own, shortbread cookies are also a blank canvas for customization. From citrus zests to chocolate dips, the possibilities are endless.
• Elegant Presentation: Their clean, crisp edges and delicate texture make them perfect for gifting or for adding a touch of sophistication to any dessert spread.
• Perfect Pairing: Shortbread’s subtle sweetness makes it an ideal companion for hot beverages like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or even a glass of milk.
• Texture Contrast: On a holiday cookie plate, shortbread offers a delightful textural contrast to chewier ginger cookies, crisp meringues, or soft sugar cookies, making the entire assortment more interesting.

Gathering Your Ingredients for Perfect Christmas Shortbread

Crafting these homemade shortbread cookies requires just a handful of staple ingredients, but each plays a crucial role in achieving that signature melt-in-your-mouth texture and rich flavor. Be sure to use quality ingredients, as their purity will truly shine through in these simple treats. You can find the precise measurements in the comprehensive recipe card conveniently located at the bottom of this post.

• Unsalted Butter: This is the star of our shortbread! Using unsalted butter gives you complete control over the salt content, allowing for a perfectly balanced flavor profile. It’s absolutely essential that your butter is at **room temperature**. This isn’t just a suggestion; it’s a critical step that ensures the butter creams beautifully with the powdered sugar, creating an airy, fluffy base that contributes to the cookie’s tender crumb. If your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly, resulting in a denser cookie. If it’s too warm (melted), your dough will be oily and difficult to work with. Aim for butter that yields slightly when pressed but still holds its shape.
• Powdered Sugar (Confectioners’ Sugar): This ingredient is key to shortbread’s delicate texture. Unlike granulated sugar, which can create a coarser, crispier cookie, powdered sugar dissolves more readily and incorporates seamlessly into the butter. The fine particles of powdered sugar prevent the formation of gluten strands, resulting in a cookie that is incredibly tender and almost crumbly, yet magically melts away on your tongue rather than falling apart. It also contributes to the smooth, refined finish of the cookie.
• Vanilla Extract: While shortbread is celebrated for its pure butter flavor, a touch of high-quality vanilla extract enhances its richness and adds a subtle, warm aroma that complements the buttery notes beautifully. Don’t underestimate the power of a good vanilla extract to elevate your baking.
• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies. All-purpose flour provides the necessary body without making the cookies tough. It’s important not to overmix the flour once it’s added, as this can develop the gluten, leading to a tougher cookie – something we want to avoid for that signature tender shortbread texture.
• Cornstarch: This is a secret weapon for achieving truly melt-in-your-mouth shortbread! Cornstarch interferes with gluten development in the flour, resulting in an incredibly tender, almost fragile crumb. It’s what gives these cookies their unparalleled delicate quality, making them dissolve on the palate with minimal effort.
• Salt: A pinch of salt is vital to balance the sweetness and amplify the rich, creamy flavor of the butter. Without it, the cookies can taste flat. Even if using salted butter, a little extra salt can often make a big difference in flavor perception.
• Festive Sprinkles: Technically optional, but for Christmas Shortbread Cookies, they are what transform a simple treat into a festive masterpiece! Red, green, and white sprinkles add a pop of holiday cheer and visual appeal. A small amount is all you need to make a significant impact.

Crafting Your Delightful Christmas Shortbread Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide

Making these festive shortbread cookies is a straightforward process, but paying attention to a few key details will ensure your cookies are perfectly tender and buttery every time. Follow these steps for an easy and rewarding baking experience:

1. Creaming the Butter and Powdered Sugar: This initial step is paramount for light and airy shortbread. In a large mixing bowl, ideally, the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine your softened room-temperature butter with the powdered sugar. Beat them together on medium-high speed until the mixture is visibly lightened in color, creamy, and wonderfully fluffy. This process incorporates air, which is crucial for a tender cookie. Don’t rush this – whip for at least 4 minutes, pausing periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is thoroughly combined. This aeration is a major contributor to the “melt-in-your-mouth” quality.
2. Whisking the Dry Ingredients: While your butter and sugar are creaming, take a separate medium-sized bowl and whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt. Whisking ensures these ingredients are evenly distributed, preventing lumps and ensuring consistent texture throughout your dough.
3. Combining Wet and Dry: With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the whisked dry mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix just until the ingredients come together and a soft dough forms. It’s critical not to overmix at this stage, as excessive mixing can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in tough rather than tender cookies. The dough might appear crumbly initially, but it should easily come together when pressed between your fingers.
4. Chilling the Dough: Once the dough is formed, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or transfer the dough to an airtight container. Refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours. This chilling period is essential: it allows the butter to firm up, making the dough much easier to handle, and prevents the cookies from spreading excessively in the oven. It also gives the flavors time to meld beautifully.
5. Shaping and Decorating: After the dough has sufficiently chilled, preheat your oven and prepare your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Roll small portions of the dough into uniform balls, roughly 1 to 1.5 tablespoons each. Place these dough balls onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each.
6. The Signature Fork Press and Sprinkles: Gently press the tines of a fork onto the top of each cookie dough ball, creating a slight flattening and adding a classic shortbread indentation. This also creates a perfect surface for your festive sprinkles! Immediately after pressing, sprinkle a few colorful red, green, and white sprinkles onto the top of each cookie. Applying them before baking ensures they adhere beautifully as the cookies bake.
7. Baking to Perfection: Bake your shortbread cookies in the preheated oven until their edges are just barely set and hint at a very light golden color. The key here is to avoid overbaking. You want a tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookie, not a hard, dry one. Shortbread should remain quite pale. As soon as they are set, remove them from the oven.
8. Cooling: Allow the baked holiday cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them firm up without breaking.

Expert Tips for Unforgettable Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Achieving bakery-quality easy Christmas shortbread cookies is simpler than you think with these helpful tips and tricks:

• The Golden Rule of Butter Temperature: We can’t stress this enough – your butter must be at the perfect room temperature. This means it should be soft enough to make an indentation when gently pressed with your finger, but not so soft that it’s oily or greasy. Typically, leaving butter out on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour (depending on your kitchen’s temperature) does the trick. Too cold, and it won’t cream properly; too warm, and your cookies will spread excessively.
• Sprinkle Smart: Always add your festive sprinkles *before* baking! As the cookies bake, their surface slightly softens, allowing the sprinkles to adhere securely. If you try to add them after baking, they’ll simply roll off, leaving your beautiful holiday shortbread looking less festive.
• Mastering the Chill: The 2-hour chilling period for the dough is non-negotiable for perfectly shaped shortbread. Chilled dough holds its form better in the oven, preventing excessive spreading and ensuring those delightful fork marks remain intact. For best results, chill longer if you have the time – up to 24 hours.
• Don’t Overbake: Shortbread is meant to be tender, not crisp or hard. Keep a close eye on your oven. The cookies are done when the edges are just barely set and show only the faintest hint of golden brown. The centers should still look pale. Overbaking is the quickest way to dry out shortbread and lose its signature melt-in-your-mouth quality.
• Uniformity is Key: To ensure even baking, use a small cookie scoop or measure out your dough precisely for each cookie. This way, all your classic shortbread cookies will bake at the same rate.

Make-Ahead and Storage Solutions

These easy shortbread cookies are an excellent make-ahead option, perfect for reducing holiday stress!

• Dough Storage: The prepared dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Simply wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. If refrigerated for an extended period, you might need to let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before rolling it into balls, as it will be quite firm.
• Freezing Dough: For even longer storage, divide the dough into portions, shape them into logs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then slice and bake as directed.
• Storing Baked Cookies: Once baked and completely cooled, these buttery shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. For optimal freshness and to prevent them from drying out, place a slice of bread or a half-apple in the container (replacing every couple of days).
• Freezing Baked Cookies: Baked shortbread cookies also freeze beautifully. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to flash freeze for about an hour, then transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or bag. They can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Christmas Shortbread Cookies

New to baking shortbread or just have a few questions? Here are some common queries:

• Can I use salted butter? While unsalted butter is recommended for precise salt control, you can use salted butter. If you do, omit the additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt in the recipe, and consider reducing it even further if your butter is very salty.
• What if my dough is too crumbly? If your dough is too crumbly and won’t come together when pressed, it might be too dry. This can happen if your flour was packed too densely or if your butter wasn’t at ideal room temperature. Try adding a teaspoon of cold milk or cream at a time, mixing briefly until it just comes together. Be careful not to add too much!
• Why did my cookies spread too much? Over-softened butter, not chilling the dough sufficiently, or too high an oven temperature can all cause spreading. Ensure butter is room temperature, not melted, and always chill the dough for at least 2 hours. Double-check your oven thermometer.
• Can I add other flavors? Absolutely! Shortbread is wonderfully versatile. Consider adding citrus zest (lemon, orange, or lime) to the butter and sugar, or a different extract like almond extract (use half the amount of vanilla). You could also mix in finely chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips before chilling the dough.
• How do I make them extra festive? Beyond sprinkles, you can dip cooled shortbread cookies halfway into melted white chocolate and then sprinkle with more holiday sprinkles, or drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze colored with food coloring.

Explore More Delicious Christmas Cookie Recipes

If you’re building an epic holiday cookie assortment, these Christmas shortbread cookies are just the beginning! Diversify your platter with these other fantastic festive treats:

• Christmas M&M Cookies: Fun, colorful, and a hit with kids and adults alike.
• Peppermint Kiss Cookies: Minty, chocolatey, and delightfully festive.
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies: A rich chocolate base with a refreshing peppermint twist.
• Chocolate Mint Cookies: Another delightful combination of rich chocolate and cool mint.
• Mexican Wedding Cookies (Snowball Cookies): Delicate, nutty, and coated in powdered sugar – perfect for a winter wonderland theme.
• Ricotta Cookies with Chocolate and Orange: A unique and moist cookie with a vibrant flavor profile.

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

5 from 1 vote

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 24 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 28 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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Buttery and melt in your mouth, these easy Christmas Shortbread Cookies are a cooke plate staple!

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1/4 cup cornstarch
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ▢ Festive Sprinkles (red, green, white)

Instructions

• In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and significantly lighter in color. This process should take at least 4-5 minutes on medium-high speed. Remember to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times during mixing to ensure all ingredients are incorporated evenly. Once thoroughly creamed, beat in the vanilla extract until just combined.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt. This step ensures that these dry ingredients are well-distributed before being added to the wet mixture.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture in the stand mixer. Mix on low speed just until the flour mixture is fully incorporated and the dough comes together. Be careful not to overmix; stop as soon as no dry streaks of flour are visible. The dough will have a slightly crumbly appearance but should hold together when pressed.
• Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, or place it in an airtight container. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. This chilling period is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking and helps the flavors meld.
• Once the dough has chilled, preheat your oven to 325ºF (160ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Remove the firm dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into uniform balls, each approximately 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in size. For consistent sizing, a small cookie scoop is highly recommended. Arrange the dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1-2 inches between them.
• Gently press the tines of a fork onto the top of each cookie dough ball, creating a classic flattened shortbread pattern and a slight indentation. Immediately after pressing, sprinkle a small amount of festive red, green, and white sprinkles onto the top of each cookie.
• Place one baking sheet of cookies into the preheated oven. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely set and show only a hint of light golden color. The centers should still look pale. While the first tray is baking, return the second tray of unbaked cookies to the refrigerator to keep the dough firm.
• Once the first batch is baked, carefully remove the tray from the oven. Repeat the baking process with the second chilled tray of cookies.
• Allow the freshly baked Christmas shortbread cookies to cool on their baking tray for about 5-10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents them from breaking apart while still warm and fragile.

Recipe Notes:

The provided nutrition information is an estimate only. Various brands, ingredient substitutions, and preparation methods can significantly alter the counts. Any nutritional information should therefore be used as a general guide rather than a precise measurement.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 108kcal (5%), Carbohydrates: 11g (4%), Protein: 1g (2%), Fat: 6g (9%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 17mg (6%), Sodium: 21mg (1%), Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 3g (3%)

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