If you are a cookie lover, try my Chocolate Cookies with Cream Cheese next. Find all my other Cookie Recipes here!
These classic Christmas Cookies will literally melt in your mouth. Not too sweet, made with 4 simple ingredients and that light as air texture will keep you reaching for more!
Lets get straight away into how to bring these Holiday cookies together.
Whipped Shortbread ingredients:
- Butter: We are using room temperature softened butter. But we don't want it over greasy or we are risking the cookies to spread more then we'd like!
- Confectioners' Sugar: Powdered sugar helps in creating light textured shortbread.
- Flour: Measure flour using a kitchen scale or fluff the flour first, measure out in measuring cup and sweep it with a knife to level it off.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch makes the most light and puffy cookies that you will ever know!
How to make whipped shortbread:
These are just the easiest cookies to make! Just take care not to over measure your flour and cornstarch. And your cookies will bake all puffy and light! To make Shortbread:
- Beat Butter and confectioners' sugar together for 3-4 minutes
- Beat in sifted flour and cornstarch next:
- Chill the dough
- Make cookie dough balls
- Quickly chill in the freezer again while you preheat the oven
- Make a pattern using fork: Optional but super cute!
- Top with sprinkles and bake then
Since the list is so short for these cookies, take care to use quality ingredients. Using good quality butter as opposed to margarine, good quality sugar and flour results in best tasting cookies.
You can also add flavorings like vanilla, almond, mint, orange or lemon to this dough. Or top it with hershey's kisses, jam filling or even candy cane kisses after these come out of oven.
How is shortbread different from cookies?
Should you chill shortbread cookie dough?
Yes, and I can't stress this enough. Chilled cookie dough bakes so much better cookies. Shortbread is high in fat content, chilling the dough will help firming the butter up. This results in thick and puffy cookies!
What does cornstarch do in cookie dough?
- Helps the cookies to bake thick and . It reduces the risk of cookie spreading!
- Cornstarch in the cookie dough yields lighter textured cookies.
- Also cookies with cornstarch bake the softest.
Why did my whipped shortbread spread?
There can be a number of reasons for shortbread to spread. If the cookie dough had too much butter and/or less flour than recipe suggest. Or if you did not chill the dough enough. Or if the oven temperature was too high. Just follow the recipe as written and your cookies will bake just perfect!
Taste and texture of these Cookies:
- Not too sweet
- Buttery and melt in your mouth soft
- Slightly crumbly in a good way (not chewy at all!)
- Light and puffy
More Holiday Recipes for you to try!
If you liked these Cookies give it a star review. Do tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Let's connect on Pinterest and Facebook too!
Recipe
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Hand/stand Mixer
- Parchment paper lined Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Cups Butter at Room Temperature , salted
- ¾ Cup Confectioners' Sugar
- 2 ¼ Cups All Purpose Flour
- ¾ Cup Cornstarch
Flavorings and Toppings: (optional but delish)
- 2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract or Lemon extract or Orange extract
- ¼ Cup Sprinkles (of choice) (I used non-pareils)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter and confectioners' sugar for 3-4 minutes. Don't skimp on the beating time for light textured cookies. Add flavorings at this point (if adding) and give it a whirl too.
- Next add in sifted flour and cornstarch in the bowl and beat only till combined.
- Scoop and roll into 36 equal sized cookie balls. Place cookie dough balls on a pre-lined baking tray or on a large plate (coated with little flour) to avoid the dough balls from sticking to the plate. Press their tops with a cornstarch/flour dipped fork and top with sprinkles.
- Now chill the dough balls for about 2 hours in fridge or till they are very firm to touch. Pro Tip: To speed up this process, you may chill the dough balls in freezer until firm.
- Let dough balls chill in the fridge/freezer till you preheat the oven. I usually bake 12 cookies on a tray at a time.
- When ready to bake preheat oven at 300 deg F and bake cookies for 19-20 minutes. Or till their tops look set.
- Allow to cool on the baking tray.
Video
Notes
- Both baked and unbaked cookies can be stored in the freezer.
- To freeze unbaked cookie balls, keep the balls on a tray in freezer till they firm up. Store them in ziploc bag then. No need to thaw before baking. Just add a minute more to the baking time.
- Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight freezer friendly container for up to 2 months. Thaw the cookies before serving.
- Top the cookies off with melted chocolate or a Hershey's Kiss on every cookie or even Candy cane Kisses taste so good with these. To top cookies with kiss candy, freeze the candies first. This will prevent kisses from melting when they are put on those warm cookies. Place a candy kiss on the top of a slightly warm cookie and press the candy just so it sticks to the shortbread.
- Place a cherry in their center.
- Make a dent in the center of cookies and fill it with jams and preserves of your choice before baking.
Jane
Can I not bake until the balls are frozen?
GreedyEats
Hi Jane! You need to wait till the cookie balls firm up nicely, that way cookies will spread less and bake puffy.
Regina Ayers
Are there any instructions for high altitude baking?I’ve made these Whipped shortbread cookies in Arizona but am in a town in Colorado at 6800’. Do I need to adjust?
Hillary
I don't think I've ever rated a recipe before, but these are life changing. I will quadruple the batch next time! They are so light and airy and melt in your mouth. I added a little almond and pistachio extract and they're so tasty.
Karen
First shortbread I made that didn't fail. Truly melt in your mouth.
Gloria
Yummy cookies
Kelli
I followed the recipe and they did Not hold shape. Why?
GreedyEats
Sounds like you ended up adding too much flour/cornstarch Kelli. Measure your flour and cornstarch correctly and your next batch will definitely hold shape. Happy Baking!
Wendy Albright
Can you use Measure for Measure Gluten Free flour for this recipe?
Chelsea
These are my fave. They are so good. I like to put grape jelly or raspberry jam in the center.
Bobbie Green
Can this cookie be used for a no baked cheesecake
Patricia
I love to make shortbread, but this recipe sounds better than my usual one. Would this recipe work with a cookie press? I love to make the pretty shaped cookies.
Sandra
I LOVE shortbread but they are a bit “clunky”. The texture of these are amazing—I’m not going to do my old favorite anymore!
The photo with the fork imprint and just a few sprinkles were the selling point for me.
Anonymous
This is a great receipe
Willow
This is my first timing commenting on any recipe… These cookies are absolutely amazing!!!
June
These are excellent and my daughter-in-law’s new favourite cookie. Thanks for a great recipe!
Andrea
Though it would have been nice to get the temperature to which to preheat the oven before the very end!
Sandra
Did you not realize you were going to bake them?
Janine S
I was thinking that too, due to past mistakes I’ve made, I learned the hard way to read through recipes from start to finish☺️
Anonymous
🙄
Lyndsay
Followed the recipe to a T and they melted in the oven 😔.
Sandra
These have a lovely texture!!
I copied the fork press and non pareil sprinkles as well. SO cute.
Since butter is the star I spent a bit extra for Kerry Gold butter
Anonymous
Quick easy and too good!!! Thank you for the recipe just love them
Scolo
I’m a terrible baker, but this recipe was not intimidating and turned out perfectly. I could cry. Thank you!
Mira
I added raspberry jam to some sprinkled crushed pumpkin seeds to some added chopped dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds to the dough and forked them on the tray!! The dough was awesome the cookie so light and fluffy! Thank you!