These are the shortbread cookies my mom has made for Christmas every year since I was a child. They literally melt in your mouth. You will LOVE them!
The first time I shared these shortbread cookies with you was back in December 2011. I've made them every year since and thought it was time to make them again for Throw Back Thursday.
On the first Thursday of each month, I find an older recipe that could use some new pictures. While the original shortbread cookie pictures definitely aren’t the worst of the bunch, but I wanted to bring the recipe to the front page again as it's one of my all-time favorite Christmas cookie recipes.
OUR LATEST VIDEOS These shortbread cookies are crazy soft. When I say they melt in your mouth, I mean it. No chewing required. They’re the most tender shortbread cookies you will ever eat. I just passed one to my handsome man and his response was, “Damn, woman. I don't know what just happened in my mouth, but I want more of it.”
This shortbread cookie recipe has only 5 ingredients, is made in one bowl, and is the best shortbread you will ever eat. Are you sold? You should be!
Tips for making the softest shortbread cookies
- This recipe works best if you beat the dough with electric beaters. If you have a stand mixer, set it aside for this recipe. (And a big thank you to my sister for helping me recipe test this with her Kitchen Aid!)
- Make sure the cookie dough is cold before you put it in the oven. If your house is quite warm, put the cookie dough in the fridge to chill it before you bake the cookies.
- Don't skimp on the 10 minutes it takes to beat the dough. My whole family has made this recipe more times than we can count and it works best if you set a timer and see it through the full 10 minutes.
- Use salted butter. This has nothing to do with making the softest shortbread cookies, but it will make the tastiest ones.
Here's what the dough should look like after you've beat it for 10 minutes. I think it looks a lot like whipped cream.
Original post date: December 16th, 2011
There are some Christmas traditions that would leave me pouting and stomping my feet like a two-year-old if I didn't get to enjoy. That doesn't paint a very nice picture of me, does it? The truth is I probably wouldn't actually throw a temper tantrum, but I would want to.
My mom, sister and I sit in a circle by the side of the decorated tree, Bailey's with a little coffee in hand. My nephew now joins us, no Bailey's or coffee for him, not for many years yet. We take turns unwrapping one small gift from our stockings, passing it around and admiring it. At some point, our coffee cups are replaced by champagne flutes. The whole process takes us hours, mostly because we are chatting and laughing so much.
Between sips of Bailey's and coffee and ripping the wrapping off little presents, there's always room for some Christmas baking.
I've never had shortbread cookies as good as my mom's. Since I was given the recipe a few years back I've been told, “I've never had shortbread cookies as good as yours before.” I don't mean to brag … but really, it's that good. It quite literally melts in your mouth. That's not a figure of speech; it disintegrates into buttery goodness on your tongue.
The trick is to beat it for longer than you ever think any cookie dough needs to be beaten. Pull a little Mohammed Ali action and KO that cookie dough.
The original picture of these shortbread cookies (2011)
If you’re interested in learning a few tricks that I did to improve my food photography, check out the posts 10 Food Photography Tips for New Food Bloggers and The 10 Best Food Photography Props to Improve Your Food Photography and The Food Photography Equipment I Use.
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DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS BAKING RECIPES:
- Holiday Spiced Almond Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Mom's Nanaimo Bar Recipe
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
Melt In Your Mouth Shortbread Cookies
Prep Time: 15 mins- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: Makes about 30
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These are the shortbread cookies my mom has made for Christmas every year since I was a child. They literally melt in your mouth. You will LOVE them!
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter, very soft (I use salted, but unsalted works, too)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Colored candied cherries or dried cranberries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lighty grease three baking sheets.
- Using a hand-held electric mixer (see notes), cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until very creamy. Gradually beat in the cornstarch and flour. Continue to beat the batter until it looks like slightly overbeaten whipped cream, about 10 minutes. I always set a timer for 10 minutes as it feels like a long time.
- Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons (or 3 level tablespoons, to be exact) onto the prepared cookie sheets. Add a colored cherry or dried cranberry in the center of each cookie. Note: if you don't have 3 cookie sheets wait until you remove the baked cookies from one and it cools completely. Putting the cookie sheets outside in the cold winter weather cools them down very quickly.
- Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes. You can bake two sheets at once, turning them halfway through. Remove the cookies from the oven just as they start to brown on the bottoms.
- Let the shortbread cookies cool on the cookie sheet for at least 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Do be careful when moving them as they will fall apart if you transfer them too soon.
Notes
I have always used a hand-held electric beater to make these. Based on feedback from both a reader and my sister, if you use a stand-mixer the cookies will fall flat. If you want to use your stand mixer, please make sure to reduce the time you mix the batter.
SAVE TO PINTEREST!
Kristen Stevens
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Hi, I’m Kristen! 
Why did mine turn into sand?! I followed instructions precisely and it pebbled up and went to sand.
Do you mean as you were beating the batter? I’ve never had this happen to me so I can’t say why. Did you use the amount of butter the recipe calls for?
Hello there! Im in the process of making these delectable cookies. Ive read each n every comment and im going to try a piping bag. I will let you know how they turn out.
THANKS SO MYCH FOR SHARING THIS RECIPE💖
You are so welcome!