Description
Delight in these classic Shortbread Cutout Cookies, tender and buttery with a smooth vanilla flavor. Perfectly rolled and cut into festive shapes, then decorated with a simple vanilla icing and charming holiday accents like rosemary sprigs and white chocolate Santa hats. Ideal for sharing during the holidays or anytime you crave a comforting, crumbly cookie.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour gluten free if needed
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons milk
Decorations
- 4 ounces white chocolate
- Rosemary sprigs, sprinkles, sanding sugar for decorating
- Red food coloring oil-based
Instructions
- Prepare the butter and sugar: Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric mixer, and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, then beat again for 1 minute.
- Mix vanilla and dry ingredients: Add the vanilla bean paste and salt and beat until incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides as needed. Add the flour and cornstarch and beat on medium-low until just combined, scraping down the sides to ensure the dough pulls together into a firm dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Roll and cut the dough: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously flour a clean surface and roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a floured round cookie cutter to cut half the cookies, a scalloped round cookie cutter and small cookie cutters to form wreath shapes. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet and chill for another 15-30 minutes.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotating halfway through, until edges are set and just barely golden. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the icing: Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a shallow dish until smooth and lump-free. Dip the cooled cookies upside down into the icing, handling carefully to avoid breakage when lifting them out.
- Decorate wreath cookies: On the iced wreath cookies, arrange rosemary sprigs and add 3 small red sprinkles under each wreath, with additional sprinkles around the cookie before the icing sets.
- Create Santa hats: Melt the white chocolate and put a small portion into a pastry bag. Mix remaining white chocolate with red oil-based food coloring and load into a piping bag. Using small tips or cut bag tips, pipe hat shapes onto remaining cookies, adding white chocolate to rim and top areas, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Optionally, use green food coloring to pipe Christmas trees in a similar fashion.
Notes
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze baked cookies (undecorated) for up to 3 months; thaw completely before decorating.
- You can also freeze rolled cookie dough for up to 3 months and bake directly from frozen.
- Use oil-based food coloring for coloring white chocolate; water-based or gel food coloring will cause the chocolate to seize.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
