Description
Rainbow shortbread cookies blend colorful magic with classic buttery goodness, creating a whimsical treat that delights both eyes and palate. Delicate piped designs and vibrant hues make these cookies perfect for celebrations, beckoning you to savor their playful charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
Coloring Ingredients:
- Gel food coloring (4 colors of your choice)
Decoration Ingredients:
- 1 cup (170 grams) white melting wafers
- Rainbow nonpareils (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace by heating the oven to 325F (160C) and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor, pulsing until thoroughly mixed.
- Incorporate butter gradually, adding half the pieces first and pulsing, then adding remaining butter and continuing to pulse until the dough forms a cohesive mixture.
- Separate the dough into four equal portions, placing each in a distinct bowl, and integrate different gel food colorings to create vibrant, evenly distributed hues.
- Arrange a plastic wrap surface and position the colored dough strips side by side, progressing from lightest to darkest, then roll into a compact cylinder and trim one end for a clean profile.
- Transfer the multicolored dough cylinder into a piping bag equipped with a large star tip.
- Carefully pipe uniform cookies onto prepared baking sheets, maintaining adequate spacing to accommodate potential spreading during baking.
- Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, rotating pans midway to ensure consistent coloration, aiming for set cookies without browning.
- Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow complete cooling before initiating decoration process.
- Melt white chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl, using 10-second intervals and stirring between each to achieve a smooth, uniform consistency.
- Immerse the piped cookie edges into melted white chocolate, immediately embellishing with rainbow nonpareils while the chocolate remains liquid.
- Position decorated cookies on parchment paper, permitting the chocolate to solidify completely before serving or storing.
Notes
- Chill dough before piping to maintain crisp rainbow layers and prevent colors from blending.
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant, concentrated colors that won’t water down the shortbread texture.
- Work quickly when layering colored doughs to prevent softening and potential color bleeding.
- Choose high-quality butter for richer, more pronounced shortbread flavor and smoother texture.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 170
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg