Simple shortbread cookies, these are great for holiday gift giving, or any time of the year.
I have this recipe written down as Ron’s Shortbread Cookies. My friend Jean would always brag about her husband’s shortbread cookies and how good they are. So I begged her to bring me some the next time he made them. Well she did, and I have to say he sure has a knack for making delicious and tender shortbread.
Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups flour
Instructions
- Mix butter, vanilla and sugar until smooth and creamy. Gradually add flour and mix just until blended together. Dough may become hard to mix and handle. To make dough easier to handle, refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
- Flatten dough to about 1/3 of an inch thick, and refrigerate again for 15 to 20 minutes to make it easier to cut. Cut into desired shapes by using a knife or cookie cutters.
- (note: I found that handling dough too much makes the second batch a little tougher, it’s probably best to roll out once and cut little squares or rectangles, so as not to have any left-over dough)
- Bake at 325°F for about 15-20 minutes. Don’t brown these cookies, although a slight color is fine.
- Remove from oven and let cool. Cookies will harden when cool.
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- Decorating ideas:
- Push a piece of cranberry or pistachio into center.
- Finely grate 2 teaspoons lemon or orange rind into dough.
- Cut red and green maraschino cherries and stick in center of cookie before baking.
- Glaze with icing sugar using lemon juice, orange juice, rum, liqueur or just plain water.
- Melt chocolate, and dip half of cookie.
