Makes 12 – 14 large cookies
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
A simple recipe that creates melt-in-your-mouth results, shortbread cookies are terrific for decorating. The dough keeps its shape, allowing intricate cookie-cutter designs to stay intact.
Ingredients
-
2 cups all-purpose flour; may substitute rice flour
-
2 sticks of unsalted butter, room temperature
-
1/2 cup India Tree Powdered Sugar
-
3/4 teaspoon salt
-
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Equipment
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Sifter
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheet
- 1 smaller, flat pan
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling pin
- Measuring cups – dry
- Measuring spoons
- Stand mixer with the whisk attachment, or a handheld mixer
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 F.
- Place sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a stand-up mixer bowl (or another medium mixing bowl if using a hand mixer) and beat on medium-high until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula a few times during this process.
- Pour 1/3 of sifted flour and salt mixture at a time into wet ingredients. Beat on medium after each addition. Mix until all is blended and small balls of dough form.
- Turn the mixer off and with your hands gently form dough into a ball. Separate the dough into two halves and place each portion onto a sheet of clear plastic wrap. With the palm of your hand press each portion of dough into a disc about 1-inch thick. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
- Before rolling out, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Keep any unused portion of dough in the refrigerator while you work so that it doesn’t become too warm to handle and cut.
- Roll out dough to desired thickness and cut out your shapes. Place shapes onto a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the cookies. To ensure more even baking, rotate your cookie sheet halfway through. Watch to make sure cookies do not overbake; they will be pale brown when done.
- Remove from the oven. While still soft and hot use a smaller, flat baking pan to lightly press down and flatten the cookies. This prevents buckling and creates a flat surface for decorating.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before decorating.
