Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Classic buttery shortbread cookies perfect for the holiday season, often shaped into festive forms and lightly decorated.
Servings: 24
Adjust the serving amount to scale the ingredient list. Written quantities in the steps refer to the original recipe; adjust them in the same proportion. Timing may vary with batch size.
Prep: 30 minutes
Total: 42 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.33 cup granulated sugar
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed or 1.5 sticks
- 0.25 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- red and green sanding sugar for decoration, optional
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add cold cubed butter and vanilla extract (if using). Use a pastry cutter or your fingertips to work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs and begins to clump together.
- Gather the dough into a ball. If too crumbly, add 1-2 teaspoons of cold water.
- Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 0.25 inch thickness.
- Cut into desired Christmas shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
- Optional: Sprinkle with colored sanding sugar before baking.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until edges are just barely golden. Do not overbake.
- Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. These cookies also freeze well for up to 3 months.