Rich buttery shortbread cookies (Printer-Friendly)

Tender, crisp shortbread featuring rich butter, ideal for decorating with icing or sprinkles.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg, at room temperature
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration (optional)

08 - Royal icing or glaze, as desired
09 - Sprinkles or sanding sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Divide dough into two portions, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk to 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Place cut cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges turn just golden.
10 - Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
11 - Once cooled, decorate cookies with royal icing or glaze and sprinkle as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and chills beautifully, so you can make it days ahead without stress.
  • They hold their shape perfectly, which means your stars actually look like stars and your hearts don't blob into circles.
  • The buttery crumb melts on your tongue but stays crisp enough to stack, gift, or dunk in coffee.
02 -
  • If your dough feels too soft to roll even after chilling, pop it back in the fridge for another fifteen minutes. Warm dough is impossible to work with.
  • Don't skip the parchment paper. I once baked directly on the sheet and spent twenty minutes scraping burnt butter off the metal.
  • Re-rolled scraps make slightly tougher cookies, so use them for shapes you plan to decorate heavily where texture matters less.
03 -
  • Weigh your flour if you can. Cups vary wildly depending on how you scoop, and too much flour makes dry, crumbly cookies.
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through if your oven has hot spots. Mine always browns the back row faster, so I've learned to turn them.
  • If you want perfectly smooth edges, run your finger along the cut edge right after cutting and before baking. It seals any cracks.
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