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A close-up of festive Whipped Shortbread Cookies piled on a white plate with red and green sprinkles, ready for the holidays.

Whipped Shortbread Cookies: Buttery, Melt-in-Your-Mouth Perfection

These delightful whipped shortbread cookies are incredibly buttery and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Made with a simple combination of butter, confectioners' sugar, flour, and cornstarch, they are perfect for any occasion.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 36 cookies
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups Butter at Room Temperature, salted
  • 0.75 cup Confectioners' Sugar
  • 2.25 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 0.75 cup Cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract (or Lemon extract or Orange extract)
  • 0.25 cup Sprinkles (of choice) (I used non-pareils)

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Stand mixer (or hand-held mixer)
  • Baking tray
  • Fork

Method
 

Preparation
  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat room temperature butter and confectioners' sugar with a stand mixer for 4-5 minutes until light; if desired, add flavorings and mix briefly.
  2. On low speed, gradually add sifted flour and cornstarch to the butter mixture, beating just until combined with no streaks of flour visible.
  3. Scoop and roll the dough into 36 equal sized balls; if too soft, chill the dough for 10-15 minutes to make handling easier.
  4. Place cookie dough balls on a pre-lined baking tray or floured plate, then press their tops with a flour-dipped fork and top with sprinkles.
  5. Chill the dough balls in the fridge for about 2 hours, or until very firm, to prevent spreading during baking.
  6. Keep dough balls chilled until the oven is preheated; typically, bake 12 cookies per tray.
  7. Preheat oven to 300°F and bake cookies for 19-20 minutes, or until their tops appear set.
  8. Allow the baked cookies to cool completely on the baking tray before handling.

Notes

For the lightest texture, ensure you beat the butter and confectioners' sugar thoroughly for the recommended time. If the dough is too soft to handle, chill it for 10-15 minutes to firm up. You can speed up the main chilling process by placing the dough balls in the freezer until firm. Bake cookies in batches of 12 per tray and allow them to cool completely on the baking tray.