We are back today for the fourth day of Christmas! Today we are sharing a recipe for Shortbread Cookies! These shortbread cookies are light, fluffy, and have an uber buttery creamy taste. They are perfect for the season and super easy to whip up in a pinch!

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The only special equipment you will need for this recipe is a stand mixer or hand mixer.
This is the stand mixer that I have and I absolutely love it. I know it is a big investment but it is SO WORTH it! They come in handy everywhere, especially to make homemade pizza dough, french macarons, or Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes!
Let’s make some cookies!

In a medium sized mixing bowl sift together flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. Stir to combine and set aside.
Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached add the butter. On medium speed, beat the butter until it has begun to go fluffy and creamy. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add in vanilla extract. Beat for an additional 30 seconds until incorporated.
Add half of the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Mix on medium speed until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down sides of the bowl and add in the remaining dry mixture. Beat on medium speed until a thick dough forms. The dough may be a little crumbly, but to test it, pinch a bit of it between two fingers, if it sticks together it is ready to go!
Gather up the dough and form it into a ball. Let rest and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Lightly dust a large surface with flour and roll out the dough to ½”-¼” thickness. Using a round cookie cutter (or any cookie cutter of choice) cut out the cookies.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet, leaving at least 1” spacing between them. Before you bake them top the cookies with nonpareil sprinkles or turbinado sugar.

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, just until edges start to turn golden brown. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking tray for one extra minute. Then, transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
That’s it! See I told you that this was going to be an easy recipe!
These cookies will come in handy all season long. Take them to a cookie exchange, or add them to a tray of christmas treats!

These cookies will last in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week, or you can also store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
We hope you enjoyed the fourth day of Christmas, make sure to check back tomorrow morning at 8am MST for day five!

We put a lot of work into our recipes, we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Check out the other recipes in our 12 Days of Christmas holiday event!
- First Day of Christmas- Polar Bear Claw Cookies
- Second Day of Christmas- Holiday Hot Chocolate
- Third Day of Christmas- Grandma’s Butter Tarts
- Fourth Day of Christmas- Shortbread Cookies
- Fifth Day of Christmas- Vanilla Roll Cake with Peppermint Buttercream
- Sixth Day of Christmas- Christmas Crack
- Seventh Day of Christmas- Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing
- Eighth Day of Christmas- Peppermint Candy Cane Bark
- Ninth Day of Christmas- Easy Chocolate Truffles
- Tenth Day of Christmas- Spicy Strawberry and Walnut Brie
- Eleventh Day of Christmas- Rum and Eggnog Milkshakes
- Twelfth Day of Christmas- White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge


Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour + more for dusting
- 1 ½ cups Butter, softened
- ¾ cup Confectioners Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Sprinkles or Turbinado Sugar, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a medium sized bowl sift together flour, confectioners sugar, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached add the butter. On medium speed, beat the butter until it has begun to go fluffy and creamy.
- Scrape down sides of bowl and add in vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds until incorporated.
- Add half of the dry mixture into the butter mixture. Mix until a sticky dough forms. Scrape down sides of bowl and add in the remaining dry mixture. Beat on medium speed until a thick dough forms. The dough may be a little crumbly, but to test it, pinch a bit of it between two fingers, if it sticks together it is ready to go!
- Gather up the dough and form it into a ball. Let rest and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
- Lightly dust a large surface with flour and roll out the dough to ½”-¼” thickness.
- Using a round cookie cutter (or any cookie cutter of choice) cut out the cookies.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet, leaving at least 1” spacing between them. Top with sprinkles or turbinado sugar (optional)
- Bake for 12 minutes, just until edges start to turn golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking tray for one extra minute. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
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