𝐵𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐹𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

𝐶ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑚𝑎𝑠 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑒𝑠

𝗜𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened 🧈
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt 🧂
Red and green sprinkles for decoration 🎄
Optional: white icing for decorating 🍪

𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀:

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar:
In a large mixing bowl 🥣, combine 1 cup of softened unsalted butter 🧈 with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes until the butter and sugar are light, fluffy, and smooth 💨. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure all the sugar and butter are well-incorporated. This step helps to create the soft and tender texture that shortbread is famous for! 😋

2. Add Vanilla and Flour:
Once the butter and sugar are fully creamed, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 🌼 and mix for another minute to blend it in. Gradually add the 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt 🧂 to the bowl, mixing on low speed to avoid overmixing. The dough should come together into a soft, pliable consistency that’s easy to handle. If the dough feels too crumbly, add a teaspoon of cold water and gently knead until it holds together.

3. Shape the Dough and Chill:
Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc shape. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap 🍪 and refrigerate for about 30 minutes ❄️. Chilling the dough helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking and makes it easier to roll out for cutting.

4. Roll Out and Cut the Cookies:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) 🔥. Once the dough is chilled, remove it from the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use festive cookie cutters 🎄 like stars, trees, or snowflakes to cut out the cookies. Place the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading during baking.

5. Decorate with Sprinkles:
Before baking, sprinkle the cookies with festive red and green sprinkles 🎉 or any decorations of your choice. Gently press the sprinkles into the dough to ensure they stick during baking. If you’d like, you can also leave some cookies plain and decorate them with white icing after they’ve baked and cooled.

6. Bake the Cookies:
Bake the shortbread cookies for 10-12 minutes ⏲️, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Keep a close eye on them as shortbread can go from perfect to overbaked quickly. The cookies should still be soft in the center when you take them out of the oven—they will firm up as they cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely 🌀.

7. Decorate (Optional):
If you prefer to decorate the cookies with icing, wait until they are completely cool before piping white icing 🎨 in fun holiday patterns like snowflakes or stars. You can also add more sprinkles or edible glitter for an extra festive touch! 🎄

𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟭𝟱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟮𝟳 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀
𝗞𝗰𝗮𝗹: 𝟭𝟱𝟬 𝗸𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝟮𝟰 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀

~ 𝑫𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒅 𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒆𝒔