Christmas Special: Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without holiday cookie baking. Rather than the icebox shortbread I usually make, I decided to try a whipped version instead this year. Filling the kitchen with the scent of buttery, rich shortbread baking always makes me feel festive. This recipe is unusual because it requires whipping the batter for 10 minutes. The light, fluffy batter can then be spooned or piped. The resulting cookie is delicate in texture and almost melts when you eat it.

Note: Having the cookie keep its ruffled, piped shape without melting into a blob while baking can be tricky. I tried refrigerating the piped batter before baking it, but had better results baking the cookies right after they were piped (at room temperature). 


Recipe after the jump!



Whipped Shortbread


-1 cup butter at room temperature
-1/2 cup icing sugar
-1 1/4 cups flour
-1/4 cup cornstarch
-dash of salt
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 325F.


Whip the butter on high speed for 5 minutes. Sift the dry ingredients over top and add the vanilla. Whip the mixture for 5 more minutes or until it resembles whipped cream.


Place the batter into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip (or use a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off). Pipe dollops of batter onto an ungreased, parchment lined cookie sheet. 


For a festive touch, I added pieces of red candied cherries on top of the cookies.


Bake cookies for 17-20 minutes or until lightly golden brown on the edges.


Recipe adapted from chowtimes.com
Image property of beetsandbites