Treat: Traditional Scotch Shortbread Cookies

Christmas is synonymous with cookie; and while some may have already overindulged in this treat, the last mine has eaten were the Spiced Pudding Cookies I made at the start of the month (I think).  With that said, my favorite thing about Christmas cookies is that they tend not to be the typical chocolate chip; so even if you have had a few too many, you’re less likely to get too burnt out on them if you’re switching things up by making an array of the seasonal flavors.

This shortbread cookie is incredibly buttery and mild—making it the perfect accompaniment to a hot cup of tea.  I also think they’d be great if you jazzed them up with some lemon zest, or sprinkled coarse sugar on them.  And I know I say this a lot, but this recipe is so easy! Just look at the ingredients list!

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter, softened

¾ cup Confectioners Sugar

2 cups All-purpose Flour

Begin by creaming the butter until it’s light. Then add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in flour until you have made a soft dough. This is easiest when done in a warmer room—it makes the butter more manageable.

Now for the trickier part: over wax paper, roll out dough using rolling pin. I recommend sprinkling a little bit of confectioners sugar on the top of the dough before rolling.  

You can either cut through the dough with cookie cutters, or (if you don’t have any) cut your dough into squares by creating a grid pattern with a large utility knife.

I wanted to give these cookies character so, using a toothpick, I poked the letters “J”, “O”, and “Y” into the cookies (one letter per cookie) along with a small border in each corner.

With some of them, I pushed in the corners like you would a pie crust for a more rustic look.

Lastly, I cut the corner from opposite sides of the square to create a diamond design.

Bake in oven set at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes, or until cookies are lightly (very lightly) browned at the edges. Allow to cool, and remove into jar, tin, or if you’re giving them as a gift, a gallon sized Ziploc bag.

 Tonight was an overall cookie night, so my mother and I made these as well as another type, which I will post tomorrow. =)

2 Days Until Christmas!