Description
Whipped shortbread cookies melt with delicate charm from Scottish baking traditions. Canadian home bakers adore these buttery, light treats that dissolve effortlessly on palates and create sweet memories for gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles (optional)
- Candied cherries (optional)
- Chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Setup: Calibrate oven to 325F (160C) and line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat for optimal cookie performance.
- Butter Transformation: Utilize electric mixer to whip softened butter and powdered sugar into a cloud-like, pale emulsion, creating an ethereal base for approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Flavor Enhancement: Introduce vanilla extract, blending seamlessly into the creamed mixture to elevate the aromatic profile.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift flour, cornstarch, and salt together, creating a uniform dry ingredient blend with consistent texture.
- Dough Composition: Merge dry ingredients into butter mixture using low-speed mixing, achieving a delicate, gossamer-like dough that maintains structural integrity without overmixing.
- Cookie Formation: Deploy cookie scoop to create uniform portions, arranging them strategically on prepared baking sheet with gentle spacing to allow proper expansion.
- Decorative Touch: Embellish cookie surfaces with elegant fork impressions or garnish with cherries, adding visual and textural intrigue.
- Baking Precision: Slide tray into preheated oven, monitoring cookies for 12-15 minutes until edges acquire a golden, sun-kissed complexion without risking over-browning.
- Cooling Protocol: Permit cookies to rest momentarily on baking sheet, then transition to wire rack for complete cooling, ensuring optimal structural and textural development.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Ensure butter is exactly softened at room temperature, not melted or cold, for achieving the signature light, airy texture of whipped shortbread.
- Avoid Overmixing: Stop mixing as soon as dry ingredients are incorporated to prevent dense, tough cookies that lose their delicate crumbly structure.
- Decorative Precision: Use minimal pressure when creating fork marks or placing cherries to maintain the cookie’s delicate shape and prevent structural collapse.
- Cooling Technique: Let cookies cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to prevent breakage, as they are extremely fragile when warm and can easily crumble.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 23
- Calories: 115
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 10 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg