Description
Melt-in-your-mouth whipped shortbread cookies are buttery, soft, and delicately sweet — the ultimate Christmas treat. Perfect for gifting, cookie exchanges, or cozy holiday baking.
Ingredients
1½ cups salted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup cornstarch
Optional: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or lemon/orange extract)
¼ cup sprinkles
Instructions
1. Beat softened butter and powdered sugar for 4–5 minutes until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla or other extract if using and mix well.
3. Sift together flour and cornstarch; add slowly to the butter mixture.
4. Mix until combined and no streaks of flour remain — do not overmix.
5. Roll dough into 36 equal balls. If sticky, chill for 10–15 minutes.
6. Flatten tops gently with a fork dipped in flour or cornstarch.
7. Add sprinkles and chill the shaped dough for about 2 hours until firm.
8. Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) while dough chills.
9. Bake for 19–20 minutes until tops are set and bottoms lightly golden.
10. Cool completely on the tray before transferring to a container.
Notes
Use high-quality butter for best flavor and texture.
Never use melted butter, as it will cause greasy, flat cookies.
Beat butter and sugar well since no leaveners are used.
Do not overmix after flour is added — this keeps cookies soft.
Add sprinkles before chilling so they adhere properly.
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 1 week or refrigerate for 2 weeks.
Freeze baked or unbaked dough up to 2 months; bake frozen dough 1 minute longer.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Christmas Dessert Recipes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 66
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg