Description
These Christmas Shortbread Bites are delightful mini cookies bursting with festive colors from Christmas-themed sprinkles. Made with buttery, tender dough and a hint of almond extract, they are perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting. Easy to make and customizable with different sprinkles, these bite-sized treats are a festive favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons Christmas colored nonpareils
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 or 9-inch baking dish with plastic wrap or parchment paper and set it aside.
- Cream Butter Mixture: In a bowl of an electric mixer, combine softened butter, powdered sugar, and almond extract. Beat until creamy, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently to ensure even mixing. Turn off the mixer when done.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add all-purpose flour and kosher salt a little at a time. Beat gently until the dough begins to come together. Be patient during this process to ensure the dough forms properly.
- Incorporate Sprinkles: Stir in the Christmas colored nonpareils evenly throughout the dough to add festive color and texture.
- Shape and Chill Dough: Knead the dough a few times until it forms a smooth ball. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up the dough for easier cutting.
- Cut Dough: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Use the plastic wrap or parchment to lift the dough out of the pan and place it on a cutting board. Cut the dough into ½-inch squares carefully.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Place the cut dough squares on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them slightly apart to prevent sticking during baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown. Keep a close eye during baking as shortbread can brown quickly.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets briefly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these festive bites fresh or store them in an airtight container.
Notes
- You can substitute almond extract with ½ teaspoon vanilla extract if preferred.
- If using salted butter, omit the added kosher salt to maintain balance.
- For a larger batch, use a 9×13-inch baking dish and double all ingredient quantities.
- Enhance visual appeal by adding extra sprinkles on top of the dough before baking.
- Use the scoop and level method when measuring flour to ensure accurate measurement and consistent results.
- Customize the sprinkles for different occasions such as blue for Hanukkah or red and pink for Valentine’s Day.
- For a chocolate twist, try using a chocolate chip shortbread recipe as a base.
- You may skip chilling the dough if short on time, but chilling helps achieve cleaner cuts and better texture.
- Refer to the blog post for additional tips and baking tricks to perfect this recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cookie
- Calories: 35 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.3 g
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
