Name: Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 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; 1 cup powdered sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 Tablespoons milk; 4 ounces white chocolate; Rosemary sprigs; Sprinkles and sanding sugar for decorating; Red food coloring oil-based

There’s something truly magical about baking Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe — the buttery crumb, the sweet vanilla aroma, and the joy of decorating them however you like. These aren’t just any cookies; they’re a canvas for your creativity and a perfect way to add a personal touch to any occasion.

The image shows two kinds of cookies on a white marbled surface, each covered with smooth white icing. The first kind is round with a hole in the middle, decorated with small red and white sugar pearls and tiny green rosemary sprigs, giving a wreath-like look. The second kind is round without a hole, decorated with a red icing line shaped like a Santa hat and white sugar pearls adding a fluffy texture to the hat's trim and pom-pom. The cookies have a golden-baked edge, and the whole scene is sprinkled lightly with white sugar crystals. Small green pine branches and a white Christmas ornament with a silver design are placed around the cookies for decoration. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

Every batch of these shortbread cookies feels like a little celebration. I’ve made countless cookies in my kitchen, but these stand out because of the buttery texture combined with the fun edible decorations that turn each cookie into a mini masterpiece. It’s easy, approachable, and so satisfying to see the final decorated results.

Buttery, Tender Texture: The combination of butter, powdered sugar, and cornstarch creates that classic melt-in-your-mouth shortbread feel you can’t resist.
Edible Decorations Included: I’ll guide you on how to decorate with white chocolate, sprigs of rosemary, and colorful sprinkles, making your cookies party-ready.
Customizable for Any Season: Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday, or just because, you can tweak colors and decorations to suit the occasion.
Straightforward Process: Even if you’re new to baking or decorating cookies, the step-by-step approach helps you nail it without stress.

Ingredients & Why They Work

This recipe uses simple, high-quality ingredients that come together beautifully to form a delicate, buttery dough. A few pantry staples make this approachable, and the addition of vanilla bean paste brings that rich aroma that fills your kitchen. Plus, the edible decorations are really what set these apart—large chunks of white chocolate and fresh rosemary really make it special.

Flat lay of a large square of pale unsalted butter with a smooth surface, a small white ceramic bowl filled with fine white powdered sugar, a small white bowl holding glossy golden vanilla bean paste, a few grains of coarse sea salt scattered naturally, a small mound of fine all purpose flour, a small heap of white cornstarch powder, another white bowl with creamy milk, a few fresh rosemary sprigs with green needle-like leaves, a small pile of bright red round sprinkles, sparkling white sanding sugar crystals shimmering, a block of smooth white chocolate with a clean cut edge, and a tiny white bowl containing vibrant red oil-based food coloring—all arranged with perfect symmetry and balanced proportions on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted Butter: The star of any shortbread, it adds richness and helps achieve that tender crumb.
Powdered Sugar: Smoother than granulated sugar, it creates a velvety texture in the dough and icing.
Vanilla Bean Paste: Provides an intense vanilla flavor with beautiful specks, elevating your cookies’ taste.
Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the buttery notes.
All-Purpose Flour: Builds the structure; swap for gluten-free if needed.
Cornstarch: Softens the dough for that perfect melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
Vanilla Extract: Adds lovely flavor to the icing.
Milk: Helps thin the icing to the perfect consistency for dipping.
White Chocolate: Melts beautifully for decoration and pairs well with the buttery cookie.
Rosemary Sprigs: Adds a fresh, piney note that makes the wreath decorations unique and festive.
Sprinkles/Sanding Sugar: For sparkle, color, and that extra bit of festive fun.
Oil-Based Red Food Coloring: Essential to color the white chocolate perfectly without seizing it.

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

One of the things I love about this Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe is how versatile it is. You can easily switch up the decorations to fit your mood or holidays, and the dough is forgiving enough to add your own twist.

Variation: One year, I added lemon zest to the dough for a fresh, bright flavor—it was a big hit and gave the cookies a lovely, citrusy note that cut through the sweetness.
Dietary Tweaks: Gluten-free flour works great here if you’re sensitive, and just be sure your decorations are suitable too.
Seasonal Changes: Try swapping rosemary for mint or lavender sprigs, or use different colored sprinkles depending on the holiday.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe

A stack of five round wreath-shaped cookies sits in the center on a white marbled surface, each cookie covered with smooth white icing and sprinkled with small red, white, and green decorative dots and tiny green leaves resembling rosemary. Around the stack are more cookies, round and flat, also iced and decorated with red and white toppings. The scene is accented with green pine twigs and white, shiny Christmas ornaments scattered nearby. The background is softly blurred with a white wall and festive hints of red ribbon and greenery behind. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Step 1: Creaming the Butter and Sugar

Start by beating that softened butter on medium-high speed until it looks creamy and smooth—about 1 to 2 minutes. Scraping the sides of the bowl is key here; you want everything nicely blended before adding powdered sugar. Then add the powdered sugar and beat again for another minute. This step sets the stage for those tender cookies.

Step 2: Bringing in the Flavors and Dry Ingredients

Next, stir in your vanilla bean paste and salt—you'll notice the rich vanilla scent start to fill your kitchen. Slowly incorporate the flour and cornstarch on a lower speed to avoid a cloud of flour everywhere. It might look crumbly or dry at first, but keep scraping the sides and mixing until you see the dough come together and pull away.

Step 3: Chill and Roll Out the Dough

Cover your dough in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This resting period prevents spreading and makes it easier to roll out. When chilled, dust your surface with flour and roll the dough to about ¼-inch thick. Use your favorite cookie cutters for fun shapes—rounds, scallops, wreath shapes—whatever speaks to you! Don’t forget to flour your cutters to avoid sticking. Gather scraps to re-roll and repeat.

Step 4: Chill the Cookies Before Baking

Arrange your cookies about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Another quick chill for 15 to 30 minutes helps them hold their shape better in the oven. This extra patience pays off with professional-looking edges.

Step 5: Bake to Perfection

Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway to ensure even baking. You'll know they're done when the edges are just set and turn a soft golden shade. Don’t wait for them to brown too much or they can lose that delicate melt-in-your-mouth texture. Cool them for 5 minutes on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Prepare the Icing and Dip

Whisk powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in a shallow bowl until smooth and lump-free. This icing should be thick enough to cling but not dripping. Dip your cooled cookies upside down gently into the icing. If they feel fragile, support with your fingers or a spatula when lifting out so they don’t break.

Step 7: Decorating Your Cookies

For those festive wreath cookies, arrange small rosemary sprigs on top immediately after dipping, then sprinkle with sanding sugar and your choice of red nonpareils or sprinkles—trust me, the fresh herb aroma is a nice contrast! For Santa hats, melt white chocolate in a pastry bag and color another batch with oil-based red food coloring to avoid seizing. Pipe the hat shape, adding white chocolate “fur” at the rim and top, finishing with sparkling sugar for a sparkle effect. Playing with colors and shapes here is honestly my favorite part.

Top Tip

After baking and decorating as many batches as I have, I’ve picked up a few tricks that really help you get that perfect cookie every time. These tips prevent frustration and make decorating a breeze.

Keep Butter Soft, Not Melting: If your butter is too cold, the dough won’t come together well; too soft and your dough will be sticky—room temperature is ideal.
Chill Twice: Chilling both the dough before rolling and the cutouts before baking helps maintain crisp, clean shapes.
Use Oil-Based Food Coloring: This is a game changer. Water-based colors will seize your melted white chocolate and ruin your decorations.
Handle Icing Gently: When dipping, support fragile cookies carefully to avoid breakage—patience here pays off in beautiful results.

How to Serve Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe

Garnishes

When I serve these cookies, I love to add some fresh rosemary sprigs alongside the platter—it complements the herbal notes in the wreath decorations and adds a pretty, natural touch. A few bowls of extra sanding sugar and colored sprinkles nearby invite guests to decorate their own cookies for a fun interactive experience.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair wonderfully with a warm cup of tea or hot chocolate, especially in cooler months. For parties, I often serve them alongside a cheese board or fruit platter—the rich butteriness of the cookies balances savory and fresh flavors nicely.

Creative Ways to Present

For holiday gatherings, I like to display these cookies in decorative tins layered with parchment paper. Another favorite idea is arranging them on a cake stand surrounded by miniature pinecones and fairy lights—it makes for a stunning centerpiece. And don’t forget cute little tags with cookie flavors or names for a personalized touch!

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

I store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, and they remain deliciously tender for up to 5 days. Make sure cookies are completely cooled and the icing is fully set before storing to avoid sticky mishaps.

Freezing

For longer keeping, I freeze baked but undecorated cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer them into a freezer-safe bag or container. This keeps them fresh for up to 3 months. When I want a batch, I thaw them fully at room temperature before decorating.

Reheating

If you want to freshen up cookies before serving, a quick 5-minute warm-up in a 300°F oven after thawing works wonderfully, but beware—don’t heat too long or they’ll lose that tender crumb quality.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if my white chocolate seizes when coloring it?

This usually happens when you use water-based or gel food coloring with white chocolate. Always use an oil-based food coloring specifically made for chocolate to avoid this issue.

Can I make the cookie dough ahead of time?

Absolutely! You can prepare the dough and freeze it for up to 3 months. Roll it out and cut shapes directly from the frozen dough, then bake as the recipe directs. This is a great timesaver!

What kind of decorations work best on these cookies?

I recommend edible decorations like fresh rosemary sprigs, sanding sugar, colorful sprinkles, and piped white chocolate. These not only look beautiful but also complement the flavor of the shortbread well.

How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much?

Chilling the dough before rolling and then chilling the cutout cookies before baking are key steps. This firms up the fat and helps the cookies keep their shape during baking. Also, don’t overwork the dough when rolling it out.

Final Thoughts

I hope you’ll love making these Shortbread Cookies with Edible Decorations Recipe as much as I do. They’re perfect for sharing with friends and family, and you’ll enjoy every step from mixing the buttery dough to adding those charming final decorations. Baking these cookies always brings me joy, and I’m sure once you try them, they’ll become a favorite in your kitchen too!