Christmas shortbread cookies are simple butter biscuits made with flour, butter, sugar and corn starch. For a delicate crumb and clean festive shapes, use softened rather than melted butter, measure the ingredients by weight, avoid overmixing the dough, and chill the cut cookies before baking.
This recipe makes approximately 24 cookies, depending on the size of your cutters. It is a general home-baking recipe and is not the commercial recipe used for Lowrey products.
Easy Christmas Shortbread Cookie Recipe
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Chilling time: 30–40 minutes
Baking time: 15–20 minutes
Makes: Approximately 24 cookies
Ingredients
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 90g icing sugar
- 250g plain flour
- 75g corn starch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
You may also prepare royal icing, melted chocolate or a small amount of festive sprinkles for decorating after the cookies have completely cooled.
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scales
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or wooden spoon
- Rolling pin
- Christmas cookie cutters
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Cooling rack
How to Make Christmas Shortbread Cookies
1. Soften the Butter
Take the butter out of the refrigerator early enough for it to soften. It should press easily under your finger while still holding its shape. Do not melt it.
Butter that is too cold will be difficult to combine evenly. Butter that is very warm or partly melted can make the cookies spread and lose their Christmas shapes.
2. Mix the Butter and Icing Sugar
Place the softened butter and icing sugar in a large bowl. Mix for about one to two minutes, until smooth and evenly combined.
There is no need to whip the mixture until extremely light and fluffy. Too much incorporated air can cause the cookies to rise unevenly or lose some of their clean edges while baking.
Add the vanilla extract at this stage when using it.
3. Add the Flour and Corn Starch
Sift the plain flour and corn starch into the butter mixture. Mix slowly until the ingredients begin to form soft crumbs.
Use your hands or a spatula to press the crumbs gently together. Stop mixing as soon as a dough forms. Shortbread dough should be soft and workable, but it should not feel wet or heavily sticky.
Do not knead it like bread dough. Excessive mixing can develop more gluten and produce firmer cookies instead of a delicate short crumb.
4. Chill the Dough
Shape the dough into a flat disc and wrap or cover it. Refrigerate it for approximately 20 minutes.
Light chilling makes the dough easier to roll and cut. Avoid leaving it in the refrigerator until completely hard, because very cold shortbread dough may crack when rolled.
5. Roll and Cut the Cookies
Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper or on a lightly floured surface. Roll it to an even thickness of approximately 6–8mm.
Cut the dough into stars, Christmas trees, circles or other simple festive shapes. Transfer the cookies carefully to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Bring the scraps together gently and reroll them once. Repeatedly rerolling the dough can make the final cookies firmer.
6. Chill the Cut Cookies
Place the tray of cut cookies in the refrigerator for another 15–20 minutes. This second chilling period helps the cookies retain their outlines in the oven.
7. Bake the Shortbread
Preheat the oven to 160°C conventional or approximately 150°C fan-forced. Oven settings vary, so use the appearance of the cookies as the final guide.
Bake for approximately 15–20 minutes. Smaller or thinner shapes may bake sooner. The cookies are ready when the surfaces look dry and the outer edges are only beginning to turn pale golden.
Shortbread does not need to become deeply brown. Leaving it in the oven for too long can produce a dry, hard texture.
8. Cool Before Decorating
Leave the cookies on the baking tray for approximately five minutes. They will be delicate while hot, so moving them immediately may cause them to break.
Transfer them carefully to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before decorating or storing.
How to Decorate Christmas Shortbread
Christmas shortbread can be served plain or decorated after cooling. Keep the decorations light so that the buttery biscuit remains the main feature.
- Royal icing: Pipe simple lines, dots or snowflake patterns onto cooled cookies.
- Melted chocolate: Dip one edge of each cookie into dark, milk or white chocolate.
- Festive sprinkles: Add a small amount before the icing or chocolate sets.
- Icing sugar: Dust lightly over undecorated cookies for a simple snowy finish.
If you add nuts, dried fruit or flavoured extracts, remember that these additions may change the texture and allergen profile of the finished cookies.
Common Shortbread Problems and How to Fix Them
Why Did My Shortbread Spread?
The butter may have been too warm, the dough may not have been chilled sufficiently, or the baking tray may have been warm when the cookies were placed on it.
Use softened but still structured butter. Chill the cut cookies before baking and place them on a cool baking tray.
Why Is My Dough Dry and Crumbly?
A shortbread dough often looks crumbly before it is pressed together. First, continue pressing it gently with your hands rather than immediately adding liquid.
If it still refuses to hold together, check that the flour was measured accurately and that the butter is soft enough. Add a very small amount of softened butter only when necessary.
Avoid pouring in a large amount of milk. Extra liquid can change the texture and cause the cookies to spread differently.
Why Is My Dough Sticky?
The butter may be too warm, or the dough may have been handled for too long. Cover and refrigerate it for 15–20 minutes before rolling.
Rolling the dough between two sheets of baking paper also makes sticky dough easier to manage without adding too much extra flour.
Why Are My Cookies Hard?
Hard shortbread is commonly caused by overmixing, adding too much flour or baking for too long.
Measure by weight, mix only until the dough comes together, and remove the cookies when the edges are just beginning to colour.
Why Did the Cookies Break?
Freshly baked shortbread is fragile while hot. Leave the cookies on the baking tray for several minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Very thin shapes and detailed cutters are also more likely to break. A thickness of approximately 6–8mm works well for most Christmas shapes.
Can You Make Christmas Shortbread in Advance?
Yes. Once completely cool, undecorated shortbread can be stored in a clean, tightly closed container in a cool, dry place for approximately one to two weeks.
Place baking paper between layers when the cookies are decorated or especially delicate. Keep them away from humidity and strongly flavoured foods.
You can also prepare the dough in advance. Wrap it well and refrigerate it for up to two days. Allow very firm refrigerated dough to soften slightly before rolling so that it does not crack.
Can Christmas Shortbread Be Frozen?
Shortbread dough can be frozen before baking. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it securely and freeze it for up to approximately two months. Defrost it in the refrigerator before rolling and cutting.
Baked, undecorated shortbread can also be frozen in a suitable closed container. Let the cookies return to room temperature while still protected from moisture, then decorate them after thawing.
Shortbread and Butter Cookies Are Not the Same
Traditional shortbread and butter cookies both use butter as an important ingredient, but their recipes, shapes and textures can differ. Shortbread generally has a compact, crumbly biscuit structure, while some butter cookies are lighter and more delicate.
Read Butter Cookies vs Shortbread: What Is the Difference? for a more detailed comparison.
Baking at Home or Choosing a Ready-Made Tin
Home-baked Christmas shortbread is a rewarding choice when you have time to mix, shape, bake and decorate the cookies yourself. It can also become a family activity during the holiday season.
When baking time is limited, a ready-made biscuit tin offers a simpler option for gifting or sharing. Lowrey Shortbread is made in New Zealand and packed in blue tins, while Lowrey Butter Cookies are packed in red gift tins and offer a different, more delicate melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Current flavours, ingredients, allergens and availability should always be checked on the individual product listing. You can also browse the Lowrey Shortbread Collection or read more about Christmas cookies, sharing and festive gifting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best thickness for Christmas shortbread cookies?
A thickness of approximately 6–8mm works well for most festive cookie cutters. Very thin cookies bake quickly and break more easily, while very thick cookies may need additional baking time.
Should shortbread dough be chilled before baking?
Yes. Chilling the dough after mixing makes it easier to roll, while chilling the cut cookies helps them retain their shape in the oven.
Can I use salted butter?
You can use salted butter, but the final flavour will be different and the salt level can vary between brands. Unsalted butter gives you more control over the recipe.
Why should ingredients be measured by weight?
Flour can be packed into cups at different densities. Measuring in grams provides a more consistent flour-to-butter ratio and reduces the risk of dry dough.
Can I add cinnamon, citrus or almond flavour?
Yes, but use additions sparingly. A little cinnamon, finely grated citrus zest or a small amount of extract can add festive flavour without overwhelming the shortbread. Check allergens carefully when using almond extract or nuts.
A Simple Christmas Baking Tradition
Good Christmas shortbread does not need complicated ingredients or elaborate decoration. Accurate measurements, properly softened butter, gentle mixing and enough chilling time make the greatest difference.
Bake the cookies until only lightly coloured, let them cool before handling, and decorate them in a way that suits your Christmas table, gift bags or family celebrations.
