Flower-Shaped Buttery Shortbread (Printer Friendly)

Buttery shortbread cookies shaped delicately for spring celebrations and tea time.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

07 - 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar or colored sprinkles, optional
08 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
09 - Edible flower petals or pastel icing, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overwork the dough.
06 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness.
07 - Using a flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
08 - Sprinkle with sanding sugar or lightly press in edible flower petals, if desired.
09 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden.
10 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Dust with powdered sugar or decorate with pastel icing, if desired.

# Pro Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes and tastes luxuriously buttery without any fussy techniques.
  • These cookies are forgiving enough for a beginner yet impressive enough to make someone feel like they've been baking for years.
  • They're the perfect excuse to buy a flower-shaped cookie cutter and suddenly your kitchen feels a little more intentional.
02 -
  • Don't cream the butter and sugar for longer than necessary; over-creaming can actually make the cookies tough instead of tender, so stop as soon as the mixture looks pale and fluffy.
  • Chilling or resting the dough makes cutting and transferring so much easier, and warm dough tears frustratingly; a 15-minute rest in the refrigerator is a game changer if your kitchen is warm.
03 -
  • Keep your butter at the right softness by leaving it out for 30 minutes; it should be soft enough to press your finger through with slight resistance, not melting or greasy.
  • If you don't have a flower cutter, you can use any shaped cutter you love, or even cut them into squares or rounds and they'll taste just as magical.
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