Christmas cookies recipe which is easy Christmas baking for the holidays! With my husband being Scottish, he is very partial to this shortbread, although I have to keep him away from stealing the cookie dough.
There are many ways you can adapt this recipe with additional ingredients such as some dried cranberry pieces, chocolate chips, sprinkles… you can ice them or dip them in melted chocolate. However as a purist, I like them sprinkled with either a little sugar or icing sugar.
This is a great recipe to use all year round, but there is something special about the festive look to the shortbread. This Christmas cookie recipe means you can make them star shaped, tree shaped, santa shaped or with angels and everything else. I use a special set of cookie cutters which is from a lady called Ann Clark. They have stood the test of time and are sturdy pieces of kit. Plus they won’t break the bank. I have placed my affiliate link for them HERE. When you click on the link you will also see some of the other fabulous cookie shapes she does too. However, for a basic set you cannot go wrong with these. I do feel though that I am going to have to purchase the baby deer one this week. It has sort of tempted me!
There are also some Christmas cookie recipe FAQ’s at the end of the recipe to help you too.
Christmas Cookie Recipe Ingredients
- 230g Plain flour
- 110g Cornflour
- 230g Soft butter – proper butter tastes much better
- 110g Caster Sugar
- Optional ½tsp Vanilla extract plus any additional ingredients as per the narrative that you would like to include.
- You will need two large baking trays, lined with baking paper and some shape cutters.
Christmas Cookies Recipe Method
Cream the butter and sugar (and vanilla extract if using) together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and cornflour over the bowl and mix until it comes together. If using any additional like vanilla extract (I love this), cranberry pieces or chocolate chips, add them now. Cornflour helps with this recipe as it makes the texture inside crumbly. I find that if you solely use plain flour then the shortbread can be a little tough. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead and put together.
Roll out the dough out until it is around 1cm thick and then use cutters to make shapes, transferring them carefully to the prepared baking trays.
You can also make more traditional shortbread by making one large one in a tin. I line my tin with greaseproof paper when I do this. You can prick the top with a fork and make lines for triangle sections.
Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees
Whilst your oven is heating up, place the shortbread in the fridge for around 25 minutes. As there is a lot of butter in this recipe, the butter inside the dough needs to harden back up a bit before baking.
Bake for around 20 minutes. Leave the shortbread on the trays until they have firmed up before moving to a wire tray. You can then add a dusting more of caster sugar or even get the kids to decorate and ice them. They are also lovely dipped in melted chocolate and then left to cool and harden too. It’s a good job I feature less calorific recipes in January!
Christmas cookies recipe faq’s
How soon before Christmas can i make cookies?
You can make the cookie dough about a month ahead and freeze it (see tips below) however, they do taste slightly better made fresh.
What makes cookies chewy?
Chewy shortbread is usually because the dough has been overworked or too much sugar has been added. Make sure you knead as little as you possibly can.
Can shortbread cookies be frozen?
Christmas cookie dough can be frozen for about a month ahead, however I do not roll out and shape until I want to use them. Simply wrap the whole cookie dough in greaseproof paper, cling film and then place into a freezer bag. See further help below.
How do you defrost shortbread cookie dough?
All you need to do to defrost frozen cookie dough, is to remove the main layers and then leave the dough to come to room temperature on a plate.
How do shortbread cookies stay fresh?
Shortbread cookies stay fresh for around about a week to ten days. Using the best airtight jar or tin is essential.
Can I use Shortbread Cookies As A Christmas Decoration?
You can use shortbread cookies as a decoration, but they will spoil as the air will get to them whilst on your tree! If you want them as a decoration, then simply make a hole before you bake them so that you can place a hanging ribbon through. They can tend to be crumbly though, so you may be better off with a firmer biscuit such as the Christmas gingerbread recipe.