Delicate Flower-Shaped Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery flower-shaped shortbread, ideal for spring gatherings and afternoon treats.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
04 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Decoration

07 - 2 tablespoons coarse sanding sugar or colored sprinkles, optional
08 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
09 - Edible flower petals or pastel icing, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, and salt.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overwork the dough.
06 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4-inch thickness.
07 - Using a flower-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
08 - Sprinkle with sanding sugar or lightly press in edible flower petals, if desired.
09 - Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden.
10 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Dust with powdered sugar or decorate with pastel icing, if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • They taste buttery and tender in a way that melts on your tongue without the fussy reputation of fancy French cookies.
  • The flower shapes make people think you spent hours in the kitchen when honestly, you'll have a batch ready in under an hour.
  • You can dress them up with edible flowers and pastel icing or keep them plain—they work either way depending on your mood.
02 -
  • Don't overwork the dough or you'll end up with dense, tough cookies instead of the light tender crumb that makes shortbread special.
  • If your kitchen is warm, the dough might get soft and stick to the rolling pin—a quick chill in the fridge for ten minutes fixes this and makes cutting cleaner.
03 -
  • Weigh your flour and cornstarch rather than scooping if you can, since measuring by volume often packs flour and throws off your ratio.
  • Keep an eye on the oven during the last few minutes of baking—you want golden edges but pale centers, which is the difference between perfect and overdone.
Go Back