Description
Melt-in-your-mouth whipped shortbread cookies bring classic Scottish comfort to holiday tables. Delicate, buttery rounds provide sweet nostalgia that connects generations of bakers through simple, elegant ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) butter, room temperature, salted
- 2 1/4 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (90 grams) cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (85 grams) confectioners’ sugar
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 teaspoons extract (vanilla, lemon, or orange)
Optional Decorative Ingredient:
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) sprinkles of choice
Instructions
- Whip butter and sugar in a mixing bowl for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and pale, incorporating vanilla extract for enhanced flavor profile.
- Gently fold sifted flour and cornstarch into creamed mixture, stirring minimally to maintain delicate texture.
- Roll dough into uniform spheres approximately 1-inch in diameter, positioning them evenly on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Create gentle indentations on cookie tops using fork tines, optionally sprinkling decorative elements across surface.
- Transfer shaped cookies to refrigerator, allowing dough to chill and solidify for 2 hours or until completely firm.
- Preheat oven to 300°F, ensuring precise temperature for optimal results.
- Position chilled cookies in preheated oven, baking 18-22 minutes until edges appear delicately set and surfaces maintain pristine appearance.
- Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest on baking sheet, enabling complete cooling and structural stabilization before transferring.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for smooth, consistent creaming.
- Use high-quality vanilla extract or experiment with almond or lemon extract for unique flavor variations.
- Sift flour and cornstarch together to prevent lumps and create delicate, tender cookie texture.
- Roll dough balls gently to maintain a light, airy consistency without compressing the mixture.
- Chilling dough helps prevent spreading and intensifies the buttery, melt-in-your-mouth quality.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper for easy removal and even browning of cookies.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Canadian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 151
- Sugar: 3.1 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 10.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg