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holiday shortbread cutout cookies

5 from 1 vote
shortbread cookies
[category] Dessert
[published] December 16, 2024
[PREP] 30 minutes
[COOK] 15 minutes
[TOTAL] 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, cold
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups (355 g) all-purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1/4 cup biscoff spread or any filling you'd like: jam, nutella, lemon curd, etc

Instructions

  1. Add the cold butter and sugar to a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, mix on low until the butter starts to break down, then increase the speed and mix for 3-4 minutes until fully combined and fluffier.
  2. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt and mix again until combined, about 1 minute. The dough will be very shaggy, but do not fear! With the mixer on low, slowly add the cold water until the dough comes together, starting with 1 tablespoon and adding more as needed.
  3. Roll the dough to 1/4” thick. Cut out the cookies with a 3-inch cookie cutter, then use small christmas cookie cutters to cut out the middle of half of the cookies — these will be the tops.
  4. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  5. After chilling, bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, just until the cookies set. They should barely be browning, or not brown at all.
  6. Let the cookies cool completely, then add the filling! Spread a thin layer of biscoff spread on the cookies that aren’t cut out in the middle, then top with the ones that are cut out in the middle, so you can see the filling peaking through. Feel free to use any filling you want -- biscoff, jam, peanut butter, lemon curd, etc!