Rich buttery shortbread cookies (Printable)

Tender, crisp shortbread with rich butter and vanilla, perfect for decorating with icing or sprinkles.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 large egg, room temperature
04 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
05 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration (optional)

08 - Royal icing or glaze, as desired
09 - Sprinkles or sanding sugar, as desired

# How to Make:

01 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat until fully combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently just until all is combined to avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide the dough into two equal portions, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk to 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to shape cookies.
08 - Place shaped cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
09 - Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.
10 - Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
11 - Once cooled, decorate cookies with royal icing and sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They bake up golden and crisp on the edges but stay tender inside, the texture people always ask about.
  • The dough forgives you and actually improves when made a day or two ahead, so you can have fresh cookies without the last-minute stress.
  • They're the perfect blank canvas for whatever icing or sprinkles match your mood or the season.
  • This recipe makes enough to share without feeling like you're feeding an army, and they disappear fast either way.
02 -
  • Softened butter really does mean softened, not melted—if you accidentally melt yours, chill it in the freezer until it firms up again before you start creaming.
  • Don't skip the chilling step thinking you'll just work faster; cold dough is infinitely easier to handle and your cookies will have better texture because of it.
  • The cookies will seem soft when you pull them from the oven, but they set up as they cool—this is how you get that tender, delicate bite instead of something hard and brittle.
03 -
  • Keep your kitchen cool when working with this dough—warm hands and warm countertops make everything harder to manage, so if you notice your dough getting soft, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  • Room temperature matters for the egg and butter because temperature affects how quickly they emulsify; cold ingredients take longer to blend and warm ingredients can curdle if mixed too vigorously.
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