Description
Delightfully buttery and crisp Christmas Shortbread Bites studded with festive colored sprinkles, perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting. These bite-sized treats offer a tender texture with a subtle almond flavor and a charming sprinkle crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Topping
- 3 teaspoons Christmas colored nonpareils
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Heat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until the mixture is creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides often to ensure even mixing. Turn off the mixer.
- Add Dry Ingredients Gently: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt a little at a time to the creamed mixture. Beat carefully until the ingredients begin to form a dough. This process will take patience to avoid overworking the dough.
- Incorporate Sprinkles: Stir in the Christmas colored nonpareils evenly throughout the dough to add festive color and texture.
- Form Dough and Chill: Knead the dough gently a few times to bring it into a ball shape. Evenly press the dough into the prepared baking dish. Place the pan into the refrigerator and chill the dough for 20 minutes to firm up and make cutting easier.
- Cut the Dough: Remove the pan from the fridge. Use the plastic wrap or parchment paper to lift the dough out and transfer it onto a cutting board. Cut the dough into ½-inch squares carefully.
- Arrange and Bake: Place the cut squares onto ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them slightly apart. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Watch closely as they brown quickly.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the shortbread bites to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these festive mini cookies with your holiday celebrations!
Notes
- You can substitute almond extract with vanilla extract (use ½ teaspoon if baking in an 8×8-inch dish).
- If using salted butter, omit the added kosher salt in the recipe to avoid over-salting.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 9×13-inch pan for more cookies.
- For extra festive appeal, sprinkle additional nonpareils on top of the dough before baking.
- Measure flour by scooping with a tablespoon and leveling with a knife for consistent results.
- Customize the cookies for different occasions by changing the sprinkle colors.
- Add chocolate by using a chocolate chip shortbread variation if desired.
- For time-saving, you may skip the chilling step but baking chilled dough yields cleaner cuts.
- Refer to the blog post for additional tips and tricks for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 mini cookies
- Calories: 70 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
