Whipped Christmas Shortbread

Published: December 21, 2017

Christmastime is rushed and hurried; who has time for rolling pins and chilling dough? With this Whipped Christmas Shortbread recipe, you can have shortbread cookies ready to eat in less than 30 minutes! And, you can top them any way you like too!

I’m completely in love with this Whipped Christmas Shortbread recipe! Until I tried this recipe, I always believed that a good shortbread cookie was the result of kneading, chilling, and rolling shortbread dough before using fancy cookie cutters in hopes of getting the perfect cookie.

Well, I’ve tried them all and some of them have been really successful, but some of them have been a complete disaster. We’ve all had that experience where the dough rises and spreads during the baking process and destroys our perfectly cookie-cutter cookie.

And, if you’re like me, rolling pins are from the devil. Ha! I know I just need more practice with pastry, but for some reason, I find it extremely difficult to get an even, flat dough surface when rolling out cookie dough.

That’s why this recipe is one of my Christmas favourites. There’s no need for rolling pins or cookie cutters. The only tools you need are a bowl, a mixer, and a small ice-cream scoop. Oh, and a fork!

CHRISTMASTIME STRESS – EVERYONE HAS IT!

Dear Reader, this Christmas recipe will be the last I’m posting for the 2017 Christmas season. Even after having to deal with all of us having a terrible cold, I was able to post six holiday recipes, including this one. I’ll call that a success! I think that was a success even though my anxiety level was at an all-time high. I was so afraid that I was going to be too under the weather to prepare some of my favourite recipes for you and for the blog. It all worked out in the end.

Christmastime has always been a joyous time of year for me. I absolutely love it! So, when I talk about the anxiety and stress of the season, it’s not because I experience much of it myself. I just know that most people do. And, you can easily see it around you too, can’t you? In the malls, kids a whiny, moms and dads are short-tempered, and the poor salespeople have to keep a smile on their face through all of it.

Everything seems to be a race against time. I refuse to put myself through that. I start planning for Christmas quite early so that I can avoid it. Shopping for presents even before summer comes? Yes! Planning which cookies and cakes I will bake in August? Yes! Wrapping presents in October? Yes! All of these things help me to have a stress-free Christmas. I get to slow down and truly enjoy it. Maybe that’s why I love it so much! Planning is the key, folks!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! To be perfectly honest, I have made these with both salted and unsalted butter and there’s no difference in taste or appearance once all is said and done. Use what you have on hand.
Cornstarch – When added to cake, cookie and shortbread recipes, cornstarch helps create a crumbly and tender dessert-like texture.
Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often. When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies.
Sprinkles, candy, or nuts

MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!

Last year, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Biscotti of Christmas. The year before that, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas. And, just a few days ago, I finished this year’s mini series call Lord Byron’s 12 Truffles of Christmas. You can click on the image below and see the entire series on one page! Don’t worry, you won’t lose this page. It will open up a new page so that you can easily get back to these cookies!

LET’S CALL THIS ONE A LAST MINUTE RECIPE

Whipped Christmas Shortbread is the perfect recipe to post last. This recipe is really so easy anyone can do it. It’s fast too! Oh, and very cheap. Look at the list of ingredients below. You probably have all of those ingredients already. If you’re in need of a fast cookie or treat for a last-minute gift, a potluck, or a quiet evening at home with a few friends, Whipped Christmas Shortbread is the only recipe you need!

I used sprinkles and candy-coated chocolate candy, but you can certainly change it up to suit your personal tastes. Try adding a whole pecan, or a glace cherry. You can even push a whole Hershey’s Kiss into the center. You can drizzle them with chocolate, add some crushed candy canes, or leave them plain and simple. The choice is yours!

If you’re making these a few days in advance, wait until the completely cool and place them into a food-safe container before freezing them. They will last for two months in the freezer. When you need one cookie, or a whole platter, just take them out and let them come to room temperature – about 20 minutes will do the trick.

Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Whipped Christmas Shortbread, you certainly can! Once they are completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container. The container must be freezer friendly! You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. I use these quite often when freezing baked goods. I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in!

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out onto a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down to follow me and never miss another recipe!

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