These shortbread cookies are simple and easy to adapt to your flavor preference. Add you favorite chocolates, nuts, and zest to make them your own!
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:5
Cook Time:15
Total Time:120
Yield:40 Cookies
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–3/4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
Pinch of salt
Mix-Ins of your choice (see below)
Instructions
Cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar just until barely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the flour and cornstarch. Mix just until barely combined. Dump the dough out onto a clean work surface and bring the dough together into a ball with your hands. Roll it out into a log about 1-1/2-2” thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for two hours or overnight if desired.
When ready to bake preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Slice into ¼-1/2” thick slices and place 2” apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the centers are set. Allow to cool prior to enjoying.
Notes
For chocolate chip: Add 6 tablespoons of finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and finish the baked cookies with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
For white chocolate peppermint: Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract in with the vanilla and ¼ cup of finely chopped white chocolate in with the dry ingredients. After baking, drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle crushed peppermint candies on top of the drizzles.
For funfetti: Use 1-1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract in place of regular vanilla and add ¼ cup rainbow jimmies.
For lemon: Add 2 tablespoons lemon zest in with the vanilla.
For maple pecan: Add a scant ½ teaspoon maple extract in with the vanilla extract and ¼ cup finely chopped pecans in with the dry ingredients.
For lime coconut: Add 1 teaspoon lime zest in with the vanilla and add ¼ cup finely chopped sweetened coconut flakes in with the dry ingredients. Drizzle finished cookies with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with toasted coconut flakes.
For honey lavender: Add 1-1/2 tablespoons honey and 1 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender to mixture. Top with a simple powdered sugar glaze if desired.
For espresso: Add 1-1/2 teaspoons espresso powder in with the dry ingredients. Top baked cookies with a glaze made by combined one cup powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon espresso powder and just enough milk to make it into a thick glaze to drizzle on.