Light and airy shortbread cookies are buttery beyond words with melt-in-your-mouth texture. The cookies are delicious plain but they look beautiful dressed up for Christmas. Vary the toppings with sprinkles, chopped nuts and crushed candies.These cookies can sometimes be prone to spread. Read the recipe notes for a fail-safe (cornstarch) and my best tips making sure the cookies keep their shapes.Also please note these cookies bake at 275F, which is a lower temp than most cookie recipes.
Combine butter and confectioners’ sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whip attachment. Mix on high speed until mixture turns pale, about 2 minutes.
Add flour to butter mixture in three additions, mixing well on medium speed after each addition. When flour is incorporated, add salt and vanilla seeds or extract. Beat on high speed 5 minutes; dough should be pale and thick. Transfer dough to piping bags fitted with decorator tips. Alternatively, use a small cookie scoop.
Line two or more cookie sheets with parchment paper. Pipe (or place) mounds of cookie dough on prepared pans; spacing cookies at least 1 inch apart. Add colorful nonpareils or confetti sprinkles to cookies before baking. Transfer cookies on baking sheets to refrigerator to chill 10 minutes, or until cookies are firm to touch.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Bake cookies 30-35 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden around edges and still pale in center. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with chocolate, if using. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.
Notes
Spreading can be common with this cookie because of high oven temps and water content in subpar butter. As a fail-safe many recipes add a 1 1/2 cups cornstarch to the dough in addition to the flour. Although I feel this recipe does not need cornstarch, those that are dubious may choose to add it as insurance. My best tips are to use high quality butter that is extremely firm when cold. Also, an oven thermometer that hangs inside the oven can best help you gauge the temperature. We’re not so much trying to bake these cookies to golden brown, as we are trying to set and dry them at a low temperature.*2 teaspoons vanilla extract can be substituted for the vanilla bean.
Keyword Christmas cookies, real butter, shortbread