Shortbread Christmas stars
Golden and buttery, shortbread cookies are just the thing to have on hand when guests drop in. With only a few ingredients, you can whip up a batch in no time – which is lucky, as they’re so good you’re sure to want to make them again and again.
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
- 175g Pams Butter, softened
- ½ cup Pams Icing Sugar
- 1½ cups Pams Plain Flour
- ½ cup Pams Cornflour
- Demerara sugar, to decorate (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan forced). Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
- Place the butter and icing sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment, beat until pale and creamy. Sift the flour and cornflour together, then stir into the creamed butter mixture.
- Turn out the dough onto a clean surface and knead to form a smooth ball. Roll out the dough between two pieces of baking paper to about 7-10mm thick. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes. Place the shortbread shapes onto the baking trays and sprinkle with the demerara sugar, if desired.
- Bake the shortbread for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Allow to cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips:
- For extra impressive-looking shortbread, use coloured icing to pipe patterns onto the cookies.
- Roll the dough into a log and cut 5mm slices from the log. Place the slices on baking trays and bake as directed.
- Chill the shaped cookies in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- You can add sprinkles into your dough to make it more festive!
FAQs
- Why did my shortbread turn out chewy?
- Overmixing is typically the cause of chewy dough. Use the lowest speed on your mixer when you incorporate the flour, and stop when it is just combined.
- How soft should my butter be?
- Your butter should be soft, but not melted. Do not melt the butter in the microwave as it could make the dough tough. The best way to make sure your butter is perfect is to just take it out of the fridge several hours before you intend to bake.
- Why do I use icing sugar instead of granulated sugar?
- Icing sugar is less dense than granulated sugar and produces a lighter, more delightful cookie!