Delicate Flower-Shaped Shortbread (Printer-friendly)

Tender, buttery shortbread in charming flower shapes, ideal for spring celebrations and afternoon tea.

# Required Ingredients:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

07 - 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar or colored sprinkles, optional
08 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting, optional
09 - Edible flower petals or pastel icing, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix vanilla extract into the creamed butter mixture.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, and salt.
05 - Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overworking the dough.
06 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness.
07 - Using flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
08 - Sprinkle with sanding sugar or gently press edible flower petals into cookies, if desired.
09 - Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are just turning golden.
10 - Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes.
11 - Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or decorate with pastel icing if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They're buttery enough to impress but simple enough that even a distracted baker won't mess them up.
  • The flower shapes make people think you spent hours in the kitchen when the whole process takes under an hour.
  • They taste even better the next day, which means you can actually prepare ahead for once.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cornstarch—it's the difference between shortbread that tastes like a regular butter cookie and shortbread that has that signature melt-on-your-tongue texture.
  • Overworked dough is the only real way to fail this recipe; once everything is mixed, step away and don't knead or beat it any further.
03 -
  • Keep your butter cool but soft—if it's too warm, the dough becomes greasy and the cookies spread; if it's too cold, they won't cream properly.
  • Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid adding extra flour, which can make the cookies tough.
Go back