Description
These Shortbread Cutout Cookies are buttery, tender, and perfect for festive decorating. Made with simple ingredients and finished with a smooth vanilla icing and decorative touches like rosemary sprigs and white chocolate, they are ideal for holiday celebrations and special occasions.
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 and sanding sugar for decorating
- Red food coloring oil-based
Instructions
- Make the dough: 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 until well combined.
- Combine ingredients: Add the vanilla bean paste and salt to the bowl and beat until incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the flour and cornstarch and beat on medium-low until just combined and dough begins to pull away from the sides; it will initially seem dry. Scrape down the sides and continue mixing until a dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Roll and cut dough: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously flour a clean work surface and roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Use a floured round cookie cutter to cut half of the cookies and scalloped and small cutters for wreath shapes. Re-roll scraps until all dough is used. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and chill again for 15-30 minutes.
- Bake cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, rotating halfway through, until edges are set and just turning golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on the sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare icing: Whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a shallow bowl until smooth and lump-free.
- Ice cookies: Dip cooled cookies upside down into the icing carefully to avoid breakage. Let excess drip off.
- Decorate wreath cookies: Immediately arrange rosemary sprigs and sprinkle sanding sugar and small red sprinkles on wreath-shaped cookies before icing sets.
- Decorate santa hat cookies: Let remaining cookies set on baking sheet. Melt white chocolate and fill a pastry bag. Mix remaining chocolate with red oil-based food coloring for red icing and place in a separate piping bag. Pipe the red chocolate in hat shapes on cookies, adding white chocolate details to rims and tops. Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Optionally, use green food coloring and similar technique for Christmas tree designs.
- Serve and enjoy: Allow decorations to set fully before serving or storing.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, freeze baked undecorated cookies for up to 3 months and thaw completely before decorating.
- You can roll out cookie dough and freeze it for up to 3 months; bake directly from frozen.
- Use only oil-based food coloring with white chocolate, as water-based colorings like gel can seize the chocolate.
- Be gentle when dipping iced cookies to avoid breakage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
