Flower Shaped Shortbread Cookies (Printable)

Delicate buttery shortbread shaped like flowers, perfect for spring celebrations and tea time.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
03 - Mix in the vanilla extract until well 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 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes, making these perfect for last-minute gatherings or when you need edible gifts.
  • They taste like an expensive bakery purchase but cost a fraction of the price, and your kitchen will smell absolutely incredible while they bake.
  • The texture hits that perfect balance between tender and crisp—there's real satisfaction in that first bite.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is genuinely important—if yours is too cold, it won't cream properly, and if it's too warm, your dough becomes greasy and spreads during baking.
  • Don't roll the dough thicker than 1/4 inch, or the cookies take forever to bake and never get crispy; too thin and they shatter before you can move them.
  • Vanilla extract makes a real difference in flavor, so this isn't the place to use imitation or skip it entirely.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough for fifteen minutes before rolling and cutting—cold dough is easier to work with and produces crispier cookies.
  • Always use parchment paper, never greasing the sheet, because butter cookies need clean contact with the surface to crisp up properly at the edges.
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