Christmas Shortbread Biscuits

A traditional Christmas favourite here at the Kitchen Shed are my Christmas Shortbread Biscuits. Buttery melt in the mouth shortbread – delicious & easy to make!

I don’t know about where you are but it’s getting a bit hectic here at the Kitchen Shed with last minute Christmas preparation and only four more sleeps before the big day. Finally, all the chocolate peppermint crisps are made and now it’s time to make some more Christmas Shortbread Biscuits; I make our shortbread every year and add it to the Christmas hampers.
The shortbread dough is pretty easy to work with so it’s perfect for children to get involved and share the fun. Although I’ve used cutters to produce star shapes of different sizes and a moon, you can more or less make any shape which takes your fancy. You can ice your Christmas Shortbread Biscuits if you wish but for me a simple dust of icing sugar and gold sprinkles works a treat – this is because my icing skills really aren’t up to scratch, as the photo demonstrates !

This recipe follows the classic 3:2:1 rule of three parts flour and cornflour (or semolina), two parts butter and one part sugar. I like to use cornflour because it gives it a tender breadcrumb but if you prefer a crunchier shortbread use semolina instead.

Tempted? If you’d like to try this recipe for yourself, here it is an easily printable form. Just hit the PRINT button on the recipe card below.

Christmas Shortbread Biscuits

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

A traditional Christmas favourite - Christmas Shortbread Biscuits. Buttery melt in the mouth shortbread - delicious & easy to make.

Author: Sarah James | Tales From The Kitchen Shed

Recipe type: Baking

Serves: 24 to 36

Ingredients

225 g softened butter
110 g caster sugar
225 g plain flour
110 g cornflour
A pinch of sea salt
Icing sugar & sprinkles for dusting

Instructions

Warm the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, not too hot though.
Add butter and sugar to the bowl and beat until creamed, which should take between one and two minutes depending on how soft your butter is and your mixer speed; number 4 to number 6 speed.
Sift flour and cornflour into a separate bowl and then add half to your creamed butter and sugar.
Start your mixer on slow (number 2 speed) to prevent the flour flying out of the bowl – mix for a few seconds. Add the remainder of the flour mix and combine until it all comes together around the beater – about 1 minute.
Alternatively, you can cream the butter and sugar together with a hand held mixer or a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Add the flour and cornflour in 3 or 4 batches and mix until the dough comes together. Don’t overwork it.
Wrap your dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 150℃ / Gas Mark 2
Remove the dough from the fridge and transfer to a floured work surface.
Roll out the dough to just less than 6 mm (¼ inch) thick.
Cut the dough using shaped cutters and then place your stars, trees, bells, etc on a baking tray.
Bake in the oven until pale golden in colour. Depending on the size and shapes you have cut, your seasonal shortbread goodies will probably take about 15 to 20 minutes to bake.
If the shortbread begins to turn brown before it is cooked, turn your temperature down by 10 ℃
Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
Sprinkle with icing sugar & gold sprinkles or decorate with icing.

Notes

I use a stand mixer to make shortbread, it keeps mixing to a minimum and ensures a tender crunchy shortbread.
Makes approximately 24 to 36 depending on size and thickness – there was enough to make two Shortbread Christmas Trees.