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Plate of whipped shortbread christmas cookies
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Whipped Shortbread Christmas Cookies
Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
12 mins
 

These Whipped Shortbread Christmas Cookies will make the perfect homemade gift. They're fun to bake and are melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Servings: 40 cookies
Author: Very EATalian
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
  • 250 g Butter, softened (see notes)
  • 150 g Powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 Eggs + 1 yolk lightly beaten
  • 180 g All-purpose flour + Zest of 1 lemon (for light cookies)
  • 150 g All-purpose flour + 30 g of Cocoa powder + Zest of 1 orange (for dark cookies)
TOPPINGS (choose whichever you like!)
  • Dark chocolate, melted
  • White chocolate, melted
  • Whole almonds, Halzelnut, or Walnuts
  • Ground hazelnut or Ground pistachio
  • Finely shredded coconut or Other chopped dried fruit
  • Apricot jam
Instructions

  1. PREPARE 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (see notes).

  2. BEAT butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high until very fluffy, scraping sides and bottom of bowl. Add salt and vanilla. Gradually add the eggs and keep beating for about 3 minutes.

  3. DIVIDE batter in two equal parts (each weighing about 250 g) and into two separate bowls.

    1st bowl (light cookies): with a wooden spoon, mix in 180 g of flour and lemon zest, until smooth.

    2nd bowl (dark cookies): with a wooden spoon, mix in 150 g of flour + 30 g of cocoa powder + orange zest, until smooth.

    Spoon each color batter into a piping bag fitted with a large, open star tip.

  4. PIPE batter on the prepared sheets into whatever shape you like, about 3 cm/1 inch apart. If you'd like, this is the time to press an almond, hazelnut, or candied piece of fruit into your cookies. You can also make a small well in the center of the cookies and add fill with a small spoonful of jam. Don't forget to leave some plain to dip in chocolate! Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  5. BAKE cookies in two batches at 180 C (360° F), for about 12-13 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool for 3 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack.

  6. DIP cookies in melted chocolate and cover with ground hazelnuts, sprinkles, or shredded coconut. Enjoy!

Notes
  • Cut your parchment paper to fit the baking sheet. To keep it flat, pipe a bit of batter on each corner and in the center of the sheet and place the paper on top. 
  • The butter must be really soft.  To make sure it's at the right temperature, press your finger in it: if it pushes in easily and holds the indentation, it's ready to be used. 
  • If you'd like to make just one big batch of one-color cookies, replace the last two dough ingredients with 360 g of flour + the zest of 1 lemon!