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
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour (gluten free if needed)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 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 1/4 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
