What I remember most about Christmas as a kid is the party food. The setting was always somebody’s 1970’s- style, wood panel rec room, kids running everywhere, that incredible spread of forbidden food that we had unrestricted access to (for one glorious night); food beyond our wildest grocery budget dreams, side tables lined with triple-decker serving trays, spilling over with mounds of olives, meat, crackers and cheeses. And then there were the carousels of sweets – sugar cookies, gingerbread, every dainty (as they called them back in the day), bar, tart and square imaginable. It was a Christmas food gluttenousganza! But it was the Whipped Shortbread that consistently won my heart….
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These delectable, pillowy little melt-in- your- mouth gems were always what I gravitated to. And I couldn’t get enough of these shortbread cookies with cornstarch (and I still can’t)! I am told that the magic is in the whipping.
And they are nothing short of magical! This is the easiest and best Whipped Shortbread cookie recipe I know of. All you need is 4 ingredients, 1 stand mixer (I LUV my KitchenAid and couldn’t live without it! If you don’t have one, check out the Amazon deals below!
Best Whipped Shortbread
A few minutes and some sprinkles and/or cherries (the addition of both cherries and sprinkles on one cookie was my daughter’s brilliant idea this year!) and you have yourself one easy and amazing shortbread cookie!
This whipped shortbread cookie with cornstarch has been around forever and at one time you could find it on the back of the cornstarch box. Although, I don’t know if that’s still the case. These days I buy everything in gigantic size from Costco and the container is plastic (minus the shortbread cookie recipe). All the same, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without these amazing and easy Whipped Shortbread Cookies .
Is this YOUR ‘go to’ Christmas Shortbread recipe??
Whipped Shortbread
Ingredients
- 3 cups butter softened
- 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar referred to as 'icing sugar' in Canada, sifted
- 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups cornstarch
Garnish:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy (you can use a hand mixer, but it's not ideal).
- Gradually add flour and cornstarch, beating until well blended.
- With hands lightly dusted with additional cornstarch, roll dough into 1 inch. balls.
- Place 1 inch. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Press lightly with a floured fork.
- Top with nonpareils and/or cherry halves, if desired.
- Bake at 300° for 20-22 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
- Cool for 5 minutes before moving from pans to wire cooling racks.
Notes
This recipe is part of The Country Cook’s Weekend Potluck
My husband loves shortbread. This look so easy. Maybe I could make half of the recipe. 🙂
Hi Sue: you absolutely could half the recipe OR just wait until I see you next week (was planning to bring some for Dave, as I had promised him baking for all the photoshop help! :))
Oh my goodness he will be thrilled! That is so kind of you. I will stick to my butter tart baking for now. 🙂
I add one essential item. Chill the dough in the fridge for a couple hours. the cookies remain well formed and the dough gets to rest. Stores well in Fridge for a week, easily.
Good idea to chill it! I’m a little too impatient, though… haha
Wow amazing work and great ideas for Christmas ?
Thanks, Nena – I checked out your blog and your cakes are beautiful and your baking looks delicious! Thanks for the follow!
Welcome. Thank you
I love making shortbread, but I’ve never done a whipped recipe. It’s a really cool idea. I had no idea that cornstarch would be involved! These definitely scream classic Christmas-y comfort – especially with the sprinkles and the little fork lines on top. Very nice 🙂
thanks, Sean! Yes, they are very classic. Whipped shortbread is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I think they call them ‘melt-aways’ in some circles (maybe American? :))
I’m excited to try your recipe! Could this dough be rolled out to use cookie cutters and bake the same?
Hi Lena,
I hope you enjoy them! No, they would not do well as a rolled cookie. I have another shortbread cookie recipe in one of my books that I used for years for rolled cookies. I’d be happy to share it with you, if you want it? Or you can try my No Fail Sugar cookies. Terri
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe! Question: Is it possible to roll the dough then freeze?
Hi Sylvie,
You are welcome! I have never tried freezing the dough itself. Funny, because I freeze everything else. I usually just make the cookies, because they are soo quick to make, then freeze the cookies for a month or two in an airtight container. I would recommend that, as the dough is quite delicate and full of air because of the whipping. Not sure how freezing would affect it. I hope you enjoy them!
Thank-you for your reply Terri 🙂
I’ve made them and I agree that this dough should be use right away, a bit like a quick pizza/pie dough made with oil. It’s a keeper for quick fresh cookies. thanks again 🙂
No problem-Merry Christmas!
I have been searching for this recipe for years….Mom made these every year for us for Christmas but she never showed me how to make them! She passed away 5 years ago! Thank you for sharing this recipe! Looking forward to sharing it with my kids!
Hi Judy,
I am soo glad that you found the recipe your Mom made! I really hope you enjoy it. I am so sorry about your Mom. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy sharing it with your kids! Terri
Silly question ,but would these work with a piping bag with a large tip or a cookie press?
Hi Julie- I would think you could, although I have never done it .So I couldn’t say for sure! Merry Christmas!
Can you dye the dough
Hi Rebecca- I have never tried it, but I don’t see why not? I would just use an icing dye like Americolor or Wilton brand, not the typical food coloring you guy at the grocery store. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I love shortbread but some of the cookies have a weird taste for about 2 days after I make them. I have used my mats and parchment paper to see if it makes a difference and it doesn’t. Would you happen to know why the weird taste?
Hi Tammy: Thanks for taking the time to write in. Only some of the cookies taste funny? Hmmm… that’s odd. It could be that your icing sugar/powdered sugar is stale! I have had that happen to me with baked goods. I would recommend you purchase some fresh stuff and try it again 🙂 And sometimes I’ve even bought it from the store and it was stale. Try to grab it from the back of the shelf and look to see if there’s a best before date. The cornstarch could also be stale so check that best before date on that too. But most often it’s the powdered sugar. Also, taste it prior to putting it in the cookies. Are you using the candied cherries? or just the sprinkles? It could also be that they have gone off. They don’t seem to last that long. I hope that helps!
WOW FINALLY SOMEONE MAKES SHORTBREAD LIKE ME – EVERYONE I KNOW LOVED MY SHORTBREAD COOKIES WHEN THEY ASK FOR RECIPE – WOULD ASK ME WHY DO YOU WHIP? I TELL THEM BECAUSE THEY TASTE HEAVENLY AND THEY SAY OH YEAH THAT’S TRUE
THX FOR SHARING
Hi CJJ – whipped is the only way, for sure! And I agree, they taste melt-in-your mouth heavenly… 🙂
Will my cookies come out soft?
HI Kim, Yes, they come out soft, but you need to let them cool and set on the pan before you move them or they’ll fall apart. Then let them cool longer and set on the cooling rack. They are still soft to eat and literally melt in your mouth! Enjoy….
Could I add a flavor to the batter( vanilla)
Hi Robin,
Yes, you probably could, but I’m not sure how it would alter the taste!
Have you tried this with gluten free flour?
Hi Dianne,
No, I have not, so I’m not sure how they would turn out.
Thanks
Terri
I mixed my cookie last night put it in fridge for night now it is to dry and flakey what can I do to moisten it up
Hi Barry,
I would turn on the oven and let it sit on top of the stove so it can warm up a bit, then knead it a little. If that still doesn’t make it soft enough, then try adding a tsp of water. Good luck!
Terri