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!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Equipment
- Hand/stand Mixer
- 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 tsp Pure vanilla extract or Lemon extract or Orange extract
- ¼ Cup Sprinkles (of choice)
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.
- Chill the dough for about 2 hours in the fridge, or till it's firm to touch. Pro Tip: To speed up this process, you may chill the dough in freezer until firm.
- Roll into 36 cookie balls, press their tops with a cornstarch dipped fork and top with sprinkles.
- Set the cookies on a lined baking tray and allow to chill in the 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.
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 zip loc 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 them off with melted chocolate or a Hershey's Kiss on every cookie or even Candy cane Kisses taste so good with these.
- Place a cherry in their center.
- Make a dent and top with jams and preserves of your choice before baking.
My dough is hard.But I got 38 balls made.Usede ice-cream scoop.Is the dough supposed to be so hard.
No the dough shouldn't be hard at all Richard. It will be soft. Make sure you are adding enough butter and not too much flour.
My dough is super crumbly similar to a pie crust consistency when I took it out of the fridge.
Allow it to sit on counter for a few mins and if still doesn't work, try adding a few tbsps of milk to be able to make dough balls out of it.
Great
This recipe was so easy. I just had to try one, even though it was still warm, amazing. The second tray is in the oven as I type my comment. The putting the dough in the fridge was the trick.. I just hadn’t done that before. You are never too old too learn new ways in baking. Thank you.
Perfect, I wasn’t led astray. Easy and delicious. Oh so easy.
Can these be frozen? Also, which brand of butter do you use -- a good middle of the road one or a European (higher fat content) or ? TY
Yes I freeze cookie dough balls all the time and bake them when ready to consume, no need to thaw. Just bake for an extra minute! We opt for Land O Lakes butter.
We made these today in hopes that they would taste like my moms whipped shortbread. YAY!! We lost her recipe so we are really happy to have found this one.
Our results were great with a few small tweaks.
We got almost 60 cookies from this recipe and we also had to increase cooking time to 30 minutes at 300.
On the second batch, I increased oven temp to 350 and then baked for 20 minutes and they were great.
We added 2 tsp of vanilla extract to the mixer for additional flavour.
We also used 1/2 of a maraschino cherry to the tops for some christmas decor as in our family, these are a Christmas favourite. Great recipe, thank you.
How much salt do you add if you're using Unsalted butter?
1/8 teaspoon.
What do you line the cookie trays with?
I have made a similar recipe for many years and it suggests adding broken pieces of toblerone bar. It is amazing!
I use wither parchment paper or silicone mats for these cookies, both work great!
I just out them in the fridge to chill. They are very crumbly. Is there really no egg?
Hi Liz! You don't need egg in this batter. If the ingredients were measured properly you would just be fine. The dough will be crumbly, if added too much flour. To fix the crumbly dough, try adding a few tbsps of milk, 1 T at a time till the dough comes together. Hope this helps!
Can you roll first then chill them?
Yes sure you can.
If I want to add almond extract how much would I add? Should I also use vanilla extract?
I would add a tsp of almond extract as it's potent. If you wish a splash of vanilla in addition to almond extract can be added too.
These were a huge hit!! I made two batches of them & between the three of us we ate them all within two hours of them coming out of the oven! I can’t wait to make a giant batch of them so that we’ll hopefully have some left over😅 new favorite cookie recipe!
Yum, will give these a try. The fork likes are usually for peanut butter cookies, so people might be confused. I might use a glass with a neat diamond pattern on the bottom and see if it transfers to the cookie! Thanks for sharing!
Took them from the fridge and to hard to roll. Help
This may happen if too much flour or too little butter was added to the dough. Try adding a tbsp of milk to the dough and add a little more if that's not enough. This should help you roll.
These look wonderful! Think they do ok in an extruder? Thanks for the recipe!
Hey! I have never tried to shape them, so I can't comment on that. Let me know how these turn out for you if you give them a try!
Didn’t turn out. Can’t roll
The extruder will work, but the dough has to be just right. I think just form with hands, instead. However, these are the best shortbread cookies I've ever had! 🙂
Can you substitute a gluten free flour?
I don't see why not! Enjoy!
Do you sift the flour before or after measuring?
No, I don't Rhonda. Happy Baking!
My dough is so crumbly not able to make a ball with it help?
Looks like you have added too much flour, try adding a tbsp of milk to make cookie dough workable.
These cookies are insanely delicious and I loved how easy they were. Thanks for the pro tip, the freezer idea was a huge time saver!
Seriously the easiest holiday cookie to make! Perfect for cookie exchanges and holiday gatherings!
These look so good. I just love shortbread cookies, and those sprinkles add such a fun touch.
SHortbread is such a favorite and I never tried homemade until I saw how easy ithis recipe was so light and fluffy now a new favorite!
Can i use cookie cutters instead of balls
I don't see why not!