Easy Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 lb butter
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 3 cups flour + extra for rolling dough
• Optional: sprinkles or colored sugar, royal icing, nuts

Tools needed:

• Cookie cutters (see TIP below if you don’t have cutters)
• Plastic wrap or large zip-lock bags
• Baking sheets or square or rectangle pans
• Silicone liner (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix all dry ingredients.
3. Cut the butter into same bowl and use a pastry cutter
   to blend all together until it takes on a lightly crumbled texture.
4. Split the cookie dough into large portions and wrap in plastic wrap or zip-lock bags. Refrigerate for about 1/2 hour.
5. Remove dough from wrap and roll out on floured counter-top to about 1/2 inch thickness.
6. Cut into shapes and decorate with sprinkles. ** If you don’t have cookie cutters – see tip below for instructions.
7. Add your shaped cookies to an greased cookie sheet (if you have a silicone liner, you can use that to help keep your baking sheets looking great).
8. Bake until lightly golden browned on bottom. (Approximately 10 to 14 minutes depending on your oven.
9. Immediately remove from baking sheet to a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes.
10. Once cooled, you can ice the cookies and add nuts if you wish.
11. Store in tightly covered plastic containers. Can be kept frozen for
    few months.

** TIP: If you don’t have cookie cutters or just want to make shortbread bars, place the rolled dough in a square or rectangle baking pan and prick with fork. You could also score the top of the dough with a sharp knife in a grid pattern so it’s easier to cut after baking. Make sure you cut in squares or rectangles while the cookies are still slightly warm or they may crack.

These are “melt in your mouth” delicious!

Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Recipe & pictures provided by Cheryl D.