Whipped shortbread cookies
Are you looking for the best whipped shortbread cookies? Look no further. These golden treats are buttery, soft and they melt in your mouth. You need only 5 ingredients to make these, plus sprinkles, which are optional. These cookies are not overly sweet and are perfect for people who have allergy to eggs or are vegetarian.
How to make whipped shortbread cookies
My recipe for cookies is very easy and requires the following ingredients:
- BUTTER: In order to make the best shortbread you need to use the best butter. Not margarine, or any other butter substitute. Real butter at its best. I used salted butter in this recipe. If you can not find salted butter, you can use unsalted but add 1/4 tsp of table salt. The buttery indulgent taste comes from real butter, this is it.
- SUGAR: Traditional Scottish shortbread is made with standard white granulated sugar. I have changed granulated sugar to icing sugar in this recipe in order to create a fluffy and soft whipped shortbread
- FLOUR: As simple as it may be in order to make a good shortbread, you need to use a soft flour. If you didn’t know; flour can be soft, hard or medium.
- Hard flour has a high protein content and has a good ability to form gluten. It is perfect to make bread.
- Soft flour has a low protein content and lower ability to create strong gluten. This flour is also called pastry flour or cake flour. It makes baked goods more flaky than doughy. For any shortbread recipe soft flour is the best option.
- Medium flour, also called AP flour – it is a mix of soft and hard flour and is the most commonly available in supermarkets.
4. CORN STARCH: it will make cookies fluffy, soft and airy. In the UK corn starch is called corn flour.
5.SPRINKLES: pick sprinkles of your choice, it will make cookies look extra special.
HANDLING THE DOUGH – for this recipe I use a mixer. I cream butter until light and fluffy, for about 7 minutes, then add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl I combined flour and corn starch and mixed together until just combined. The whole secret is not to overwork the dough. Overworked dough means cakey and tough shortbread due to formation of gluten. We do not want it.
THICKESS AND SHAPING: this recipe makes 732g dough. I have divided it into 24 portions, 24 grams each. I made small balls and flatten each ball with a cookie stamp (use a glass etc) and then add some sprinkles on top and lightly press sprinkles to the dough so they stick. I have not tested this recipe for cut-out cookies so can not comment if this would work.
What do whipped shortbread cookies taste like?
These cookies taste delectable, they melt in your mouth and are light and airy and totally irresistible. Perfect to dunk in your coffee or tea. The taste is buttery with a hint of vanilla, but you can substitute vanilla extract with almond, lemon or any other flavour you fancy. We love these cookies as they are not overly sweet but are very flavourful.
How to store these cookies
Store whipped shortbread cookies at room temperature in a cookie jar or a cookie tin. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months. In order to defrost shortbread, just take it out of the freezer and leave it at room temperature for an hour. It defrosts like a charm.
If you are looking for more shortbread recipes, I can recommend you the following:
Miso and brown butter shortbread
Amaretto and cranberry shortbread
Cured egg yolk shortbread bites
Click this link to see the best shortbread recipes
I hope you will make my recipe and if you do, please leave a comment below and let me know your feedback. You can also find me on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Gab and Gettr. Please say hi and do not forget to tag me in if you make my recipe. I love seeing your creations.
Recipe source – my own
Enjoy!
Soft, crumbly and buttery, these whipped shortbread cookies are easy to make and taste mouthwatering. These cookie are perfect for beginners as are easy to make.
- 230 g butter (salted, room temperature)
- 100 g sugar (icing (powdered))
- 220 g flour (ideally soft flour, also called pastry flour or cake flour, if you can not find it, you can also use AP flour)
- 70 g corn flour (or corn starch)
- 1 tsp vanilla (extract)
- sprinkles (optional)
Please read post above. It includes tips and useful information.
In a bowl add butter and cream it until butter becomes light and fluffy, for about 8 minutes.
Add icing sugar and vanilla extract and cream together for about 5 minutes.
Add flour and corn flour and mix together until dough forms. Make sure you do not knead the dough and you do not overwork the dough. This is important. The longer you work the dough the more gluten develops. It will make shortbread doughy and this is not want you want.
Preheat oven to 175C fan (347F).
Prepare 2 large baking tins lined with baking paper, set aside.
Divide dough into small balls. I used a kitchen scale to get the same size of my dough portions. I got total of 24 cookies - about 24 grams each.
Roll each cookie portion into a ball. Place it on a baking tray and slightly flatten it with a cookie stamp or a glass.
Add some sprinkles on top and then flatten it with a cookie stamp or a glass so sprinkles stick to the dough. Repeat the process with all the cookie dough.
Arrange cookies on a baking tray, there is no need to leave a lot of space between each cookie as cookies will not spread.
Bake for about 12 minutes until slightly golden on edges.