Just five ingredients for a perfect, melt-in-your mouth shortbread cookie. Roll and cut into fun shapes for a birthday or springtime party. Note that the dough requires time to chill.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Baking, Vegetarian
Essential Ingredient Sprinkles
Prep Time 28 minutesminutes
Cook Time 12 minutesminutes
chill 4 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours55 minutesminutes
Servings 4dozen
Ingredients
1 1/2cupssalted butter3 sticks
1cupgranulated sugar
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
3 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
4Tablespoonssprinklesdivided
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar. You will need to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla and beat again. Carefully tip in the flour and mix on low to just combine.
Add 3 tablespoons of the sprinkles and mix to combine. Turn off the mixer and remove the paddle, scraping the excess dough back into the bowl.
Use your hands to gather the dough into two equal balls, then flatten into discs. Wrap each in plastic cling wrap. Refrigerate the shortbread dough for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
About an hour before rolling, remove cookie dough from the fridge and leave on the counter to return to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Gather cookie cutters and rolling pin.
Working with one disc at a time, roll out cookie dough between two sheets of parchment paper until it's 1/4 inch thick. (Tip: lay a tea towel or tablecloth on the counter first so the parchment doesn't slip and slide around.) Now shake on the last tablespoon of sprinkles and lightly press them into the dough with the rolling pin.
Cut out cookies with cutters and carefully transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Place sheet in the fridge and chill the cookies for 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Gather, re-roll and cut all the scraps.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes, one baking sheet at a time on the middle oven rack. They will puff slightly and turn golden on the bottoms.
Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
Notes
For this recipe I used the Birthday Party Sprinkle Medley from Sweetapolita!