There’s something simply magical about decorating cookies, especially when tradition, taste, and fun collide. The Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe I’m sharing is one of those cherished recipes that feels like a cozy afternoon spent with friends or family — buttery, tender cookies dressed up with charming toppings. Trust me, once you try these, you’ll find yourself reaching for spatulas and sprinkles all year round.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Why They Work
- Make It Your Way
- Step-by-Step: How I Make Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
- Top Tip
- How to Serve Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions:
- Final Thoughts
- Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe is a favorite of mine because it’s the perfect balance of simple and special. It’s approachable enough to invite even cookie-decorating newbies, but the results are beautiful and impressive — the kind you want to share with guests or gift during the holidays.
- Buttery and tender texture: These cookies have that classic shortbread melt-in-your-mouth feel, thanks to the perfect butter-to-flour ratio.
- Ideal for decorating: Their firm but tender base holds up beautifully to icing and decorations without crumbling.
- Delightful flavor combo: The subtle vanilla bean paste gives richness that’s a cut above your standard vanilla extract.
- Fun and festive possibilities: From rosemary wreaths to Santa hats with colored white chocolate, the decorating options let your creativity shine.
Ingredients & Why They Work
What I love about this recipe's ingredient list is how straightforward it is, yet each component plays an essential role. High-quality butter is the heart of these cookies, while a touch of cornstarch helps give a soft, tender crumb. Vanilla bean paste really elevates the flavor, making these cutouts feel fancy without the fuss.
- Unsalted butter: Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level perfectly; make sure it’s at room temperature for easy creaming.
- Powdered sugar: This dissolves smoothly into the butter, giving the cookie dough a velvety texture and a delicate sweetness.
- Vanilla bean paste: Much richer and more aromatic than extract, it adds tiny vanilla flecks too, making these cookies smell irresistible.
- Salt: Just a pinch to balance and enhance the sweetness.
- All-purpose flour: The foundation for structure — use gluten-free flour if needed for dietary preferences.
- Cornstarch: A secret weapon for tenderness, it keeps the dough soft without crumbling.
- Powdered sugar (for icing): The base for smooth, glossy icing that sets nicely on the cookies.
- Vanilla extract (for icing): Adds a subtle depth to the glaze.
- Milk (for icing): Adjust to thin the icing to your perfect consistency for dipping or drizzling.
- White chocolate: Melts beautifully for decorating, especially when colored with oil-based food coloring for vibrant hues.
- Rosemary sprigs, sprinkles, sanding sugar: These add festive charm and texture for decorating wreath and Santa hat cookies.
- Red oil-based food coloring: Essential for tinting white chocolate without seizing it—trust me, water-based will ruin the melt!
Make It Your Way
One of my favorite things about this Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe is how easily it adapts to your mood or occasion. I love switching up the decorations based on the season or event, but also, the basic dough is so forgiving that you can tweak flavorings or even the shapes to make these cookies truly yours.
- Variation: Some years, I add a teaspoon of freshly grated lemon zest to the dough for a bright twist — it pairs wonderfully with the classic buttery base.
- Dietary modifications: Using gluten-free flour works perfectly here, so your friends with gluten sensitivities won’t miss out on these beauties.
- Decorating difficulty: Start simple with just sanding sugar and sprinkles if you’re short on time or new to decorating — the cookies are delicious even with modest adornment.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar Until Silky Smooth
I start by beating the room-temperature butter at medium-high speed until it’s soft and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Don’t rush this—scraping down the sides helps everything combine evenly. Then in goes the powdered sugar, beaten in for another minute until the mixture feels light and velvety. This foundation is what gives the cookies their wonderful texture.
Step 2: Add Flavor and Dry Ingredients Carefully
Next comes the vanilla bean paste and salt, which I mix until just combined. Then I add the flour and cornstarch on medium-low speed, scraping the bowl as I go. The dough looks dry and crumbly at first, but keep mixing — it starts to come together and pull away from the sides. This step is key: don’t over-mix because that can toughen your cookies.
Step 3: Chill and Roll Out Your Dough
I wrap the dough in plastic and pop it in the fridge for about 30 minutes — this chills the butter and firms the dough for easier rolling. When it’s chilled, I flour my clean work surface generously and roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Using a round cutter and a scalloped edge cutter makes cutting out wreath shapes fun. Don’t forget to flour your cutters to prevent sticking!
Step 4: Chill Cookies Again and Bake to Perfection
After cutting, arrange cookies spaced about an inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. I refrigerate them for another 15-30 minutes — this helps cookies hold their shape during baking. Then, I bake them at 350°F for 8-10 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. Take them out just as the edges start to turn golden; overbaking makes these cookies lose their tender crumb.
Step 5: Prepare Icing and Decorate Like a Pro
While the cookies cool, I whisk the icing ingredients until smooth and lump-free. For dipping cutouts, I carefully dip each cookie upside down in the icing and lift gently to avoid breakage. For wreath cookies, I arrange rosemary sprigs and sprinkle red decorations before the icing sets — the fresh greenery adds a festive touch and aroma.
Step 6: Create Santa Hats with Colored White Chocolate
For the Santa hats, I melt white chocolate and pipe it onto the cookie rims using a pastry bag with a small tip. Then I tint the remaining white chocolate with oil-based red food coloring for that vibrant classic color, piping the hat shapes with swirls and finishing with sparkling sanding sugar. This step is my holiday favorite — it brings the cookies to life!
Top Tip
Over the years, I’ve learned a few little tricks with this Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe that really save time and improve results. These tips make the process smoother so your cookies come out perfectly every time.
- Consistent dough thickness: Rolling the dough evenly to about ¼ inch ensures cookies bake uniformly and decorate beautifully.
- Use oil-based food coloring for chocolate: This avoids seizing white chocolate, which was a frustrating mistake I learned to avoid!
- Chill twice: Refrigerate both the dough and cut-out cookies before baking so your shapes hold firm and don’t spread.
- Handle icing gently: Dipping can break fragile cookies if you hurry—take your time and lift carefully from the icing.
How to Serve Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
Garnishes
I love using fresh rosemary sprigs on the wreath cutouts—not only do they look festive, but the herbal aroma adds a lovely earthy contrast to the sweet cookies. Bright red sanding sugar and little red sprinkles bring that pop of holiday cheer. If I'm running short on time, colorful sprinkles always do the trick to brighten the presentation.
Side Dishes
These cookies are fantastic with a hot cup of tea or a frothy cappuccino, perfect for a cozy afternoon snack. During holiday gatherings, I serve them alongside mulled wine or spiced cider for a sweet and spiced flavor pairing that guests adore.
Creative Ways to Present
One year, I arranged decorated cookies around a large glass jar filled with fairy lights for a magical centerpiece. Another time, I wrapped individual cookies in cellophane with a ribbon for charming edible gifts. Get creative with seasonal cookie cutters and piping colors to match any holiday or theme—your presentation will wow every time.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
When I have leftovers, I store shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, layered with parchment paper to prevent sticking. These stay fresh and tender for up to 5 days—perfect for enjoying as treats throughout the week.
Freezing
I’ve frozen both baked undecorated cookies and rolled cookie dough with great success. For dough, I wrap it tightly then freeze for up to 3 months; when ready, I bake straight from frozen by adding a couple extra minutes to the baking time. For baked cookies, freeze them undecorated to avoid icing damage, then thaw completely before decorating.
Reheating
Since these cookies are best enjoyed cool or at room temperature, I often let frozen or leftover cookies thaw fully before serving. If you want to warm them slightly, a few seconds in the microwave (about 10 seconds) helps bring back buttery softness—but be careful not to soften the decorations.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes, you can substitute regular vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla bean paste. The flavor will be slightly less intense and won’t have the vanilla bean flecks, but your cookies will still be delicious and buttery.
Chilling the dough and again chilling the cut cookies before baking are the keys to keeping the shapes firm. Also be sure to roll the dough evenly at about ¼ inch thickness and avoid overworking it.
Yes! You can bake and decorate these cookies a day or two ahead of your event. Store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh, but avoid stacking decorated cookies on top of each other to preserve the icing and decorations.
Use oil-based food coloring when tinting white chocolate to avoid seizing. I’ve tried gel and water-based colors before, which caused the chocolate to become grainy and unusable.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, making Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe has become one of my favorite rituals, whether I’m baking solo or sharing the fun with loved ones. This recipe hits that perfect spot where buttery simplicity meets festive creativity, and it makes every cookie feel special. I hope you give it a try, have as much fun decorating as I do, and create some memorable moments along the way.
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Shortbread Cookie Cutouts with Decorations Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 20 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious and festive shortbread cutout cookies perfect for holiday decorating. These buttery, tender cookies are chilled and rolled out to create classic round and wreath-shaped treats, decorated with vanilla icing, white chocolate, rosemary sprigs, and colorful sprinkles for a charming seasonal touch.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour (gluten free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Decorations
- 4 ounces white chocolate
- Rosemary sprigs
- Sprinkles
- Sanding sugar
- Red oil-based food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the Butter and Sugar: Add the unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the powdered sugar and beat again for 1 minute to combine thoroughly.
- Add Flavorings and Flour: Add vanilla bean paste and salt to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the all-purpose flour and cornstarch, then beat on medium-low speed just until the dough begins to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. It will seem dry initially; keep scraping and beating until a dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Generously flour a clean work surface and roll the chilled dough out to ¼ inch thick. Using a floured round cookie cutter, cut out half of the cookies. Use a scalloped round cookie cutter and a small cookie cutter to cut out wreath shapes. Gather the scraps, re-roll, and cut until all dough is used. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and chill for another 15 to 30 minutes.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the chilled cookies for 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until edges are set and just turning golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Icing: In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth and lump-free. Dip the cooled cookies upside down into the icing carefully to avoid breakage, then set aside to allow the icing to set slightly.
- Decorate Wreath Cookies: Arrange rosemary sprigs on each iced wreath cookie, placing two to three small pieces on each side. Sprinkle three small red sprinkles underneath the rosemary and scatter more sprinkles around the cookies. Allow icing to set fully.
- Decorate Santa Hat Cookies: Let the remaining iced cookies sit on the baking sheet. Melt white chocolate and fill a pastry bag with a small portion. Mix remaining white chocolate with oil-based red food coloring until the desired color is achieved and fill another piping bag. Cut the tips of the bags or use a small baking tip to pipe the hat shapes by swirling back and forth. Add white chocolate details to rims and tops of hats, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Similar decorations can be done using green food coloring to create Christmas tree shapes.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, freeze baked undecorated cookies up to 3 months. Thaw completely before adding icing and decorations.
- Dough can also be rolled out and frozen for up to 3 months; bake directly from frozen without thawing.
- Use oil-based food coloring for coloring white chocolate as water-based colors will cause the chocolate to seize.
- Be sure to chill dough well to maintain shape and prevent spreading during baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
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