These Buttery Whipped Shortbread Cookies are absolutely delicious! Extremely tender and buttery cookies with a light crumb and a pretty dusting of sprinkles.
In my final week of posting recipes before Christmas, I had to share one more cookie recipe!
I seem to have a disappointing shortage of shortbread recipes on my site, and it was high time I remedied that with a knock-out recipe everyone is going to love.
Admittedly, I don’t eat a lot of shortbread. Maybe it is because I have been unimpressed by shortbread recipes in my past, whether they were store-bought or other recipes I’ve tried. To be honest, if it is on a holiday cookie tray, I’d probably skip it! But that changed after making these cookies. They have earned their place on the top tier of shortbread cookie recipes and are deserving to be picked first on every holiday cookie tray!
Shortbread is a very easy cookie to make because it requires so little ingredients. Basically, shortbread is an egg-less cookie made with copious amounts of butter, sugar, flour, and salt. Because the shortbread gets its flavor from butter and sugar, I also like to add in some vanilla extract to bump up the flavor some more, but this is optional. You could also flavor your shortbread with citrus zests or other extracts like almond.
The key to this particular shortbread is that it is whipped to smithereens which incorporates lots of air into the butter and sugar mixture, resulting in a supremely tender cookie with a light and delicate crumb. Hence the name “whipped shortbread.” You definitely don’t want to skimp on the whipping time because it needs at least 5 minutes to really get that ideal texture.
After the dough comes together, you’ll roll it into Tablespoon-size balls and place 1-2″ apart on lined baking sheets. I like to use a fork to press the tine marks into the shortbread for some texture, and then finish the cookies with some sprinkles! I used rainbow non-pareils, but holiday colors or jimmies would work too!
Remember, when you’re looking at the recipe – this recipe yields about 4.5 DOZEN cookies, so it makes a LOT of cookies! It is easily halved for your needs, however, so do what you need! These freeze beautifully, so you can always make the recipe as written and freeze any leftovers.
Bake them up and let them cool and you’re good to go! Super simple to make and tastes amazing, but that light, delicate, tender texture and crumb is what really makes this cookie special!
Buttery Whipped Shortbread Cookies – introducing your new fave!
*adapted from Taste of Home
Buttery Whipped Shortbread Cookies
These Buttery Whipped Shortbread Cookies are SO supremely tender and delicate with amazing butter and vanilla flavor and a dusting of sprinkles. Festive, easy, comes together quickly and tastes delicious!
Servings: 4 dozen
Ingredients
- 3 cups (6 sticks) salted butter softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- Rainbow or holiday non-pareils sprinkles
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300° degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and confectioners’ sugar with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until soft and very fluffy. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Don’t skimp on the time – it should whip for 5 minutes!
Add in the vanilla extract and mix well, then add in the cornstarch and flour and mix on low speed until just combined.
Using a Tablespoon-size cookie dough scoop, scoop out dough balls and roll in your palms to smooth them. Place 1-2″ apart on the baking sheets. Take a fork and gently press into each dough ball to slightly flatten. You may want to dip the fork in some flour if it sticks. Immediately sprinkle with the non-pareils, if using.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking time to ensure even cooking. (I take the baking sheet on the top rack and put it on the bottom rack halfway through, and vice versa). Cool on the baking sheets for about 15 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Notes
Feel free to add in other extracts or citrus zests to the cookie dough to brighten the flavor. Almond extract would be phenomenal, or orange or lemon zest.
This recipe makes about 4.5 dozen cookies, so it yields a LOT! Feel free to cut in half to suit your needs.
Buttery, tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread goodness! I love this recipe and you will, too!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
