Delicate Butter Shortbread Cookies (Printable)

Buttery shortbread crafted into flower shapes, perfect for light treats and spring gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

07 - 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar or colored sprinkles, optional
08 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting, optional
09 - Edible flower petals or pastel icing, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and fine sea salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until just combined. Avoid overworking the dough.
06 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness.
07 - Using a flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
08 - Sprinkle with sanding sugar or lightly press edible flower petals into the dough surface, if desired.
09 - Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown.
10 - Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
11 - Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or decorate with pastel icing if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're buttery and crisp without being fussy, tasting like they came from a proper British bakery but made entirely in your own kitchen.
  • The dough comes together faster than you'd expect, making this perfect for when you need something elegant on short notice.
02 -
  • The difference between tender and tough shortbread is literally two seconds of overmixing, so trust the dough when it looks shaggy and resist the urge to keep stirring.
  • Room temperature butter creams properly, but chilled butter straight from the fridge will fight you and end up with a grainy texture instead of fluffy.
03 -
  • Weight your ingredients if possible because this recipe's texture depends on proportion—a too-heavy hand with flour changes everything.
  • If your dough cracks at the edges while rolling, it's too cold; let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes and try again.
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