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Christmas Peppermint Shortbread Cookies – Buttery, crumbly, lightly minted, and totally delicious! These Christmas shortbread cookies with peppermint taste like they come from a fine bakeshop. Perfect for gift giving or cookie swaps, these peppermint shortbread cookies are so fun to make – be prepared to share with friends and family. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the Peppermint Christmas Shortbread Cookies
For the cookies
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
For the peppermint glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons half-and-half (or milk) maybe more
- 1/4-1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 crushed peppermint candy canes or candies
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1. To make the Christmas peppermint cookies: Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Place soft butter in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until nice and smooth. Add sugar and vanilla. Mix together by hand for about 1 minute, until fluffy and well blended.
3. Add the flour and cornstarch. Stir until flour is incorporated and the dough is shaggy. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and press dough in a ball. Knead a few times until fairly smooth then form into a ball again and press with your hands into a flat disk.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 3/8-inch thickness. Keep work surface, dough and rolling pin lightly dusted with flour. Cut desired shapes and place them on the prepared sheet pans. Re-roll scraps as many times as needed to use up the dough.
5. Place cutouts in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 24 hours.
6. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350˚F (180ºC). Remove the Christmas shortbread cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12-16 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Cool completely on a wire rack before icing.
For the mint glaze
1. Combine powdered sugar, half-and-half and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract in a medium-size bowl. Mix until smooth. The glaze should be thick but still pourable. Add a little more half-and-half if too thick. Taste the glaze and add more peppermint extract, if needed. Transfer the glaze to a shallow plate.
2. To glaze the shortbread cookies, holding onto the edge of a cookie dip the top surface into the glaze. Make sure that all of the surface of the cookie touches the glaze. Pull cookie up and out of the glaze and allow excess glaze to drip back into the bowl. When glaze stops dripping, quickly flip the cookie right side up and give it a gentle jiggle to allow the glaze to flow evenly over the surface.
3. Sprinkle crushed peppermint candy cane over the glazed cookie. Repeat with the remaining cookies and allow the glaze to dry for 15-30 minutes. Keep your Christmas peppermint shortbread cookies in a tin box for up to one week until they’re all gone – which shouldn’t take long. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
