Rich buttery shortbread cookies (Printer-friendly)

Rich, crisp buttery shortbread with tender crumb ideal for decorating with icing or sprinkles.

# What You’ll 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

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
02 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, beating until fully incorporated.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined without overmixing.
05 - Divide the dough into two equal portions, shape each into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disk at a time to approximately 1/4-inch thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Place the cut shapes on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
09 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges turn lightly golden.
10 - Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for five minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
11 - Once fully cooled, decorate the cookies with royal icing and sprinkles as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're buttery and crispy without being complicated, making you look like you know your way around a kitchen.
  • The dough is so forgiving you can chill it for days or freeze it for weeks, turning baking into something you do on your own timeline.
  • They're a canvas for creativity—decorate them wild or keep them simple, and either way they taste like they came from a fancy bakery.
02 -
  • Overmixing after you add the flour is the difference between tender cookies and tough ones—mix just until combined and trust that it's enough.
  • Chilling the dough isn't just for convenience, it changes how the cookies bake by preventing them from spreading too thin and losing their shape.
  • Pulling them out when they still look slightly underdone in the center is the secret to that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes people reach for a second cookie.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale for your flour if you have one—it's the most common reason cookies turn out different than expected because scooping compacts flour unpredictably.
  • Room temperature ingredients cream together much better than cold ones, so pull your butter and egg out of the fridge while you prep everything else.
  • If your dough cracks when you roll it out, let it warm up for a few minutes, and if it's too soft to work with, pop it back in the fridge briefly.
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