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!
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
Please continue to the next page (>) for the full list of ingredients and complete cooking instructions. Enjoy this meal!
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
With only six ingredients (plus sprinkles), these whipped shortbread cookies may be the easiest recipe you make this holiday season. They take less than 30 minutes to make from start to finish–NO chilling required!
Course: Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 27 minutes
Servings: 35cookies
Calories: 85kcal
Ingredients
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter¹ softened
¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar (plus additional for imprinting cookies)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon table salt
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons (17 g) cornstarch
Nonpareils jimmies, or colored sanding sugar for decorating, optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325F (165C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Combine butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat on medium-high speed (use high speed if using a hand mixer) until lightened in color, fluffy, and creamy. This will take at least 5 minutes with a stand mixer and possibly a bit longer if using a hand mixer. If needed, pause occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all of the butter and sugar are being well creamed.
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter¹,¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar
Add vanilla extract and salt and stir until combined.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract,¾ teaspoon table salt
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch.
Turn mixer speed to medium-low and gradually add flour, stirring until just combined.
Scoop dough into tablespoon-sized scoops and briefly roll between your palms to make smooth balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, spacing cookies 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm) apart.
Use a fork to gently, slightly flatten each cookie. If the cookie dough is sticking to the tines of the fork, dip the fork in a bit of powdered sugar first to prevent sticking.
Sprinkle cookies with nonpareils, jimmies, or sugar, if desired.
Nonpareils
Transfer to 325F (165C) oven and bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will still be light in color when finished baking. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet before removing.
Notes
¹Butter
Butter is the most important ingredient in your whipped shortbread and the better quality you use, the better your cookies will taste. If you can get your hands on European butter, I recommend using that for this recipe (though they’ll still be delicious if you can’t!). The butter should be softened, but not so warm that it appears melty or oily.
Salted Butter
If using salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
