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–+ servings
Shortbread cookies on a plate.
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5 from 1 vote

Christmas Shortbread Cookies

Sweet, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth Christmas Shortbread Cookies are quick and easy to bake for a delicious holiday treat!
Prep Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cook Time14 minutes
Total Time1 hour 34 minutes
Course: dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 259kcal
Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

  • Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons sprinkles, optional

Instructions

  • In the mixing bowl of a standing mixer, add the 18 Tablespoons of butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of almond extract, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons of sprinkles.
  • Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 1-2 minutes.
    Note: The dough will be crumbly at this point.
  • Place the crumbled shortbread dough onto a sheet of parchment paper on a generously sized work surface. Use your hands to carefully shape the dough into a large dough ball, turning it several times to ensure an even shape.
  • Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle shape ensuring it is around ¼ to ½ inch thick.
  • From there, pick up the parchment paper and put it in a 13x9 pyrex dish or on a cookie sheet.
  • Place the dish/cookie sheet in the refrigerator and allow the shortbread dough to chill for 1 hour. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and place the dish on the counter.
  • Using you favorite cookie cutters, press into the dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper and place each cut out on the cookie sheet.
  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Bake the cookies for 14-15 minutes until slightly golden on the bottoms.
  • Remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Using a spatula, move the shortbread cookies to a cooling rack.

Notes

    • Make sure your bag of all-purpose flour is fresh and new. Old flour that has been sitting in the pantry unused for many months won't result with a good flavor.
    • I use a standing mixer for this recipe, but an electric hand mixer or a food processor will also work to combine the dough.
    • Do not skip the chilling step. Chilling the dough before you cut and bake them will keep it from spreading and help the cookies hold their shape. This step is key.
    • Sprinkles are a festive way to dress these cookies up, but you don't have to use them. They're just as delicious sprinkle-free!
    • If you don't have cookie cutters, don't worry! You can just as easily use a chef's knife to cut a simple shape of diamonds, squares, or rectangles.
    • Pipe icing on top! For an even more festive cookie, let them cool and pipe icing on top with sprinkles.
    • Chocolate dipped - dip half (or all) of the cookie into melted chocolate and let cool for a more decadent cookie. Use white, milk or dark chocolate!

Nutrition

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 28mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 473IU | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg