Frosted Shortbread Cookies
With a melt-in-your-mouth buttery shortbread base and a smooth layer of sweet icing, these frosted shortbread cookies are just as perfect for any holiday or festive occasion as they are enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea!
These Christmas cookies are perfect to share with loved ones! Other favorites include these Italian Christmas cookies and almond crescent cookies.
Simple, buttery shortbread cookies are amazing on their own but adding a sweet frosting on top makes them not only festive but a sweet indulgence. These frosted shortbread cookies will be your new favorite!
When it comes to the best shortbread cookies, these rank high on the list along with my chocolate chip whipped shortbread cookies. The icing on top of these cut-out cookies, though, makes them a perfect sweet treat for holiday celebrations.
With only 6 simple ingredients, they are easy to make, but once they are baked and decorated they become gourmet treats perfect for adorning any Christmas cookie tray!
Why You’ll Love These Cookies
- Simple ingredients: Just like my 3-ingredient shortbread cookies, the ingredient list is short but the taste is nothing short of amazing.
- Perfect for any occasion: Swap out the icing color, sprinkles and cookie cutter shape to fit any holiday from Christmas to Valentine’s Day or whatever occasion you are celebrating!
- Tender texture: Butter and powdered sugar make these buttery cookies melt-in-your-mouth delicious!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: For the best cookie structure use flour with at least 11% protein content.
- Cornstarch: Adds a light texture to the dough.
- Butter: A good quality butter will result in the best buttery shortbread cookie recipe.
- Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners sugar or icing sugar adds to the melt-in-the-mouth texture.
- Vanilla extract: Adds a rich flavor to the cookie dough.
- Glaze: For iced shortbread cookies, combine powdered sugar, cream and vanilla extract.
How to Make Frosted Shortbread Cookies
To start, sift dry ingredients including flour, salt and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
Next, in a large bowl using an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add the sifted flour mixture a little at a time then combine completely with a fork for a traditional shortbread dough.
When the mixture begins to come together, move to a flat surface and knead until you have a smooth dough.Wrap the shortbread dough in plastic and chill.
Using a rolling pin, roll dough into ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface then use desired medium cookie cutters to cut into shapes.
Place on the prepared baking sheets, while the oven is preheating refrigerate the cookies.
Bake the cookies until the edges start to turn a light golden color. Let cool on the baking sheet then move to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Combine glaze ingredients then frost the completely cooled cookies with a thin layer of frosting, decorate as desired then let set before enjoying!
Substitutions and Variations
- Chocolate: For the chocolate lovers, make these chocolate shortbread cookies with cocoa powder or dip cookies into melted chocolate instead like I do in chocolate hazelnut shortbread cookies.
- Warm spices: Cinnamon shortbread cookies would be amazing with the icing and add a warm holiday flavor.
- Citrus: Add lemon zest to the dough like I do in these lemon shortbread cookies!
- Dried fruits and nuts: Add some dried cranberries like I do in cranberry shortbread cookies or some finely chopped almonds like in almond shortbread cookies.
- Decorations: Before the icing sets, decorate this classic shortbread cookie with festive sprinkles or use crushed candy canes for Christmas shortbread cookies.
Baking Tips
- Quality butter: Use good quality butter for best results. If your butter has too much water and not enough fat your cookies will be dry.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough: Chilling the dough allows the butter to solidify and prevents spreading.
- Salted vs. unsalted butter: Either can be used, but if using unsalted butter add ¼ teaspoon salt to the dough.
- Avoid overbaking: Cookies are ready when the edges of the cookies are a light golden brown.
- Icing: I used a pastry brush to ice mine but you can frost them how you like. You can even just dip the cookie tops into the icing if you would like! Just let the excess drip off before flipping them to set.
- Allow frosted shortbread cookies to set before storing: If you plan to stack them or package them for gifts, allow the icing to set before storing. This is especially important if you are wrapping them up to gift to a loved one.
Recipe FAQs
Butter cookies typically contain more sugar than butter and are baked at a higher temperature for a crisp cookie. Shortbread cookies on the other hand have a higher fat ratio which gives them that melt-in-your-mouth texture.
The main difference is that sugar cookies contain eggs while shortbread cookies do not. Shortbread cookies have a higher ratio of butter to flour then sugar cookies too which makes them more tender.
You can store these frosted shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about a week. Freeze baked but unfrosted cookies up to 3 months.
Can I freeze shortbread cookie dough?
Yes, once the dough is made you can either roll it into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw slightly, slice and then bake.
You can also cut out the cookie dough, flash freeze the cookies in a single layer and then store frozen in a freezer safe bag until ready to bake. Thaw and then bake as directed when ready.
More Cookie Recipes
- Hazelnut Snowball Cookies
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Italian Lemon Cookies
- Stamped Shortbread Cookies
So if you are looking for a different and delicious way to present your shortbread cookies, I hope you give these cookies a try and of course let me know what you think! Enjoy!
Frosted Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour (at least 11% protein content)
- 1 pinch salt*
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 cup butter (good quality)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
*If you use unsalted butter then add ¼ teaspoon of salt. Be sure to use a good quality butter, apparently the year 2022, store brand butter quality is not what it used to be. Less fat could mean a dry not so tasty cookie.
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1-3 tablespoons cream or milk
- ½-1 teaspoon vanilla
EXTRAS
- 2-4 tablespoons crushed candy canes
Instructions
- Sift the flour, salt and cornstarch into a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl cream the butter, sugar and vanilla then add the sifted flour mixture a little at a time, combine with a fork, when mixture begins to come together, move to a flat surface and knead until you have a smooth dough.
- Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and roll on a lightly floured flat surface or between two pieces of parchment paper into a thickness of ¼ inch, cut the dough with desired medium cookie cutters and place on 1-2 parchment paper lined baking sheets, continue until all are cut out. While the oven is pre-heating refrigerate the cookies for about 15-20 minutes
- Pre heat oven to 325F (163C).
- Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to turn a light golden. Let cool on the baking sheet then move to a wire rack. Frost the completely cooled cookies with a thin layer of frosting, then sprinkle with the broken candy canes. Let rest one hour to dry. Enjoy!
FOR THE GLAZE
- In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar and vanilla add the cream a tablespoon at a time, combine until smooth. You don't want the glaze too thick nor too thin, it should be spreadable. I used a pastry brush to spread mine.