Mouth Watering Holiday Shortbread

Basic Shortbread Recipe

3 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 cups butter
1 cup icing sugar


Remove the butter from the fridge and allow to soften before using in this recipe. When butter is soft, mix it with the icing sugar and beat this until fluffy.  Using a separate bowl, combine the flour and cornstarch.

Add the flour to the butter a little at a time. Mix just until you can gather the batter together to make a ball. Place this ball on a kneading surface that has been lightly floured. Knead it a little until it is smooth, then cut this in half. Wrap each half in waxed paper or saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for half an hour or more.

Working with one ball of dough at a time, return the dough to the kneading board and roll out with a rolling pin. You can flour the rolling pin lightly.

Using a cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes. Place the shape on an ungreased cookie sheet. If desired, place half a glace cherry or pecan half in the middle of the cookie. Bake at 300 F until the cookies are done. This may take about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire racks until cool.

Variation #1: Ginger Shortbread

Add 3/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger to the butter and icing sugar. Continue as with the basic recipe. After placing cut shapes on the cookie sheet, add a small amount of chopped, crystallized ginger in the middle of each cookie instead of a cherry or nut.

Variation #2: Expresso Shortbread

Add four teaspoons instant expresso powder into the flour and cornstarch mixture. Be sure to use powder and not granules. You can crush granules to make powder, if necessary. Continue with the basic recipe as before.

Variation #3: Chocolate Dipped Shortbread

After baking and cooling either the basic shortbread or the espresso shortbread, dip one half of each cookie into melted bittersweet chocolate. Place on baking sheet lined with waxed paper and refrigerate to solidify the chocolate. Your results will be better if you use premium quality chocolate.

More Shortbread Recipes

Visit the link below for more recipes for shortbread and miscellaneous goodies all containing chocolate.

Shortbread Recipes at Best Chocolate Recipes