Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (2024)

posted by The Bewitchin Kitchen on December 15, 2019

Jump to Recipe

It’s that time of year! Time for Christmas baking and cookie exchanges. I’m apart of a Christmas cookie exchange and have been looking for a classic: whipped shortbread.

I’ve been searching for the perfect shortbread recipe and a dear friend of mine shared this one with me.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (1)

Whipped Shortbread

Disclosure:This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (2)

Update: Nov 2014.

I have made these cookies every year sinceposting it way back in 2012.It’s been 3 years of Whipped Shortbread when it comes to my holiday baking and that will probably never change.

I love the tradition that my friends and I share: since 2012 we do a cookie exchange.

Since we all live in separate towns and cities, we don’t see each other as often (especially around the holidays) this is our way to stay connected for the Christmas Season.

How to Make Whipped Shortbread

Anyway, back to the recipe.

I love how easy this recipe is. It’s truly a no-fuss Christmas cookie recipe that tastes great and hits you right in the Christmas feels.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (3)

I don’t know about you, but I’m the messiest baker.

I tend to get flour everywhere and this recipe (for me) is a messy one. Cornstarch, powdered sugar, and flour? My kitchen never stood a chance.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (4)

This is what the batter looks like in the beginning. Every year I trick myself that this is wrong because I always remember the fluffy end result. Keep beating, the batter should go on medium high for at least five minutes until you get the look you want.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (5)

That’s more like it. I have always thought that once the batter is whipped to perfection that it resembles (and smells like) vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Christmas baking recipes

Here are a few more Christmas baking recipes I think you’ll enjoy:

  • Maple Butter Cinnamon Rolls
  • Christmas Meringues with Eggnog Buttercream
  • Peppermint White Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (6)

What’s the difference between shortbread and butter cookies?

I always thought that shortbread and butter cookies were the same thing, I was wrong.

Butter cookies have more sugar than shortbread and hold their shape better.

Shortbread cookies, traditionally, are not as sweet (although this recipe has a sweet factor to them).

Can you use a cookie press with shortbread?

I’ve been asked if I have used a whipped shortbread cookie press, I haven’t. If you try it, please leave me feedback on how it worked for you.

I’m the first to admit that I’m a lazy baker. I simply spoon the cookie dough onto parchment and press it down with a fork.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (7)

How to Decorate Whipped Shortbread

As I said before, I’m a lazy baker. I like to get to the point because I get a little too excited and just want to eat them. I often envy those who have beautifully decorated cookies (I can’t even decorate a pre-made gingerbread house nice – haha).

Shortbread Decoration Ideas

  • Bake with colored sprinkles for a flecked appearance.
  • Top with sprinkles while fresh out of the oven.
  • Top with buttercream or royal icing (and use it to press in mini gingerbread men or cookie decorations).
  • Press your thumb at the top and top with your favorite jam for a shortbread thumbprint cookie.
  • Press your thumb at the top and top with red or green candied cherries (my grandma used to do this).

Can you freeze shortbread cookies?

Yes! I do it all the time.

I mostly do it so I don’t eat them all (it provides me some portion control) but if you want to know a secret…they’re amazing frozen.

Is that weird?

I absolutely love frozen cookies dipped in coffee.

I simply stack them in a cookie ton and freeze them. Since shortbread is delicate, you will have to be careful. You can lay them on a baking sheet, flash freeze them, and then place them in a freezer bag but I never have freezer room for the sheet pan this time of year.

Butter Shortbread Cookies

The key to this recipe is the butter. The butter makes this a delicious, melt in your mouth cookie recipe that is perfect for the holidays.

Equipment Needed:

  • A mixer (I use this KitchenAid Stand Mixer) but a hand mixer works well too.
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment Paper

I’m curious, what’s your favorite Christmas cookie recipe? Let me know in the comments.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies

These whipped shortbread cookies are a Christmas cookie exchange favorite.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword christmas cookies, cookies, shortbread cookies, whipped shortbread

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 222kcal

Author The Bewitchin Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 lb butter softened
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Sprinkles or whatever decorations you would like

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Pre heat oven to 350.

  • Beat softened butter. If butter is still a little too hard, beat until softened. Add dry ingredients and beat until a fluffy consistency. I beat it using the paddle attachment on the KitchenAid mixer for approximately five minutes. Mixture should resemble (and smell, yum) like vanilla ice cream.

  • Drop cookies onto baking sheet and press with fork. Bake for 12-13 minutes.

  • If desired decorate with sprinkles, cherries, etc.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 472IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg

Follow On Pinterest Follow @bewitchinkitchen On Pinterest for more delicious recipes!

Tried this recipe?Mention @bewitchinkitchen or tag #bewitchinkitchen so I can see it!

Do you do a bunch of holiday baking? What’s your favorite Christmas cookie recipe?

Looking for more great ideas? Click here to follow me on Pinterest!
Visit Randa | The Bewitchin’ Kitchen’s profile on Pinterest.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (9)

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (10)

posted in Baking Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Recipes

42 Comments »

Whipped Shortbread Cookies Recipe | The Bewitchin' Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good shortbread cookies? ›

Shortbread magic happens when butter, sugar, flour, and salt come together. The list of ingredients is incredibly short, so you want to make sure each one is on point. Be sure your butter is good-quality, and recently purchased. You don't want the butter picking up refrigerator odors.

What are common mistakes when making shortbread? ›

The most common mistakes when making shortbread are over-working the dough, and incorporating too much flour. The less you work the dough, the more crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth your shortbread cookies will be.

Why is my whipped shortbread crumbly? ›

Most likely, the culprit is too much flour. The flour should be fluffed with a fork before measuring. Lightly scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. (The most accurate way is to use a recipe which uses grams and weigh the flour on a food scale).

What is the difference between a butter cookie and shortbread cookie? ›

As the name suggests a butter cookie has a high proportion of butter. However, unlike a shortbread the amount of flour and sugar used is increased meaning they hold their shape more effectively.

Is it best to chill shortbread dough before baking? ›

Chill Before Baking

The goal is to ensure the butter in the dough is cold when it goes into the oven. This will prevent the shortbread from spreading.

What is the difference between Scottish shortbread and regular shortbread? ›

Traditional Scottish shortbread is a simple recipe made with sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Other shortbread styles will include leavening agents like baking powder and baking soda, which makes them crisp instead of crumbly like traditional Scottish shortbread.

Why do you put fork holes in shortbread? ›

The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.

What happens if you don't poke holes in shortbread? ›

Piercing the shortbread with a fork is not only for decoration, but it's meant for more even baking. Poking holes in the shortbread allows the heat to penetrate the cookie, hence more even baking. Notice I'm using powdered sugar here. You'll see lots of shortbread recipes using granulated sugar.

Should butter be cold or room temperature for shortbread? ›

If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense. Many shortbread recipes call for cold butter worked into the dry ingredients and that gives you a wonderfully flaky cookie but if not mixed properly, the results can be inconsistent.

Why do you put cornstarch in shortbread cookies? ›

Making shortbread cookies with cornstarch is necessary for a tender and delicate cookie. Next time you make chocolate chip cookies, I suggest you try adding 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to the batch to help keep them extra soft and tender.

Can you overbeat shortbread? ›

Don't overbeat. To make shapes, form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and freeze or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until firm. Roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it is ¼ inch thick. Cut into any shapes you like, then put the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.

Why are my shortbread cookies puffy? ›

Why did my shortbreads spread on cooking? This can be caused by over-beating the butter and sugar. Over-mixing adds too much air to the batter. As the biscuits bake, the air in the dough expands and spreads.

Are chessmen butter cookies shortbread? ›

To make a copycat version of Chessmen cookies at home, the recipe is a simple butter cookie cut out in a special shape. A butter cookie is slightly different from shortbread but with a higher ratio of sugar to butter. This allows a butter cookie to hold its shape rather than having a tendency to crumble.

Why use unsalted butter in shortbread? ›

Unsalted butter for best results

Use unsalted butter for balanced flavour. Unsalted butter was traditionally used in baking because it was a superior product to salted - salt is used as a preservative so unsalted butter was thought to be fresher.

What did shortbread Girl Scout cookies used to be called? ›

Trefoils were also the first Girl Scout Cookie back in 1935, when the Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York raised enough money through the sale of commercially baked cookies to buy it's own die in the shape of a trefoil.

Should butter be cold for shortbread? ›

Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.

Why put egg in shortbread? ›

This unexpected addition will make buttery confections like shortbreads and shortcakes even more tender and flaky. “Biscuits should be crumbly, buttery and sweet,” reads a headnote for a cinnamon sugar-spiced shortbread recipe in the Ritz London Cookbook.

What happens if you add too much butter to shortbread cookies? ›

Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly. You should use unsalted butter to control the salt content, but if you only have salted on hand, reduce the amount of added salt accordingly.

Should shortbread cookies be soft or hard? ›

Shortbread should always have a tender, melting texture, but be slightly crisp when you bite into it. It should not generally be damp or wet underneath. A classic shortbread recipe will also only have flour, butter and sugar as the ingredients (in a 3:2:1 ratio) and not egg, which could lead to excess moisture.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Greg Kuvalis

Last Updated:

Views: 6636

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg Kuvalis

Birthday: 1996-12-20

Address: 53157 Trantow Inlet, Townemouth, FL 92564-0267

Phone: +68218650356656

Job: IT Representative

Hobby: Knitting, Amateur radio, Skiing, Running, Mountain biking, Slacklining, Electronics

Introduction: My name is Greg Kuvalis, I am a witty, spotless, beautiful, charming, delightful, thankful, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.