Shortbread Cookies (Eggless Vanilla Cookies)

Shortbread cookies recipe – You can call this basic eggless vanilla cookies.

Cookies are rich and buttery in taste. It has crispy yet crumbly texture. Once dipped into melted chocolate, it adds extra goodness.

While making these cookies, use good quality butter and pure vanilla extract to get best flavors.

First, cookie dough is made. Then chilled, rolled and cut using cookie cutter. Then again chill and bake in the oven. This kind of cookies are called Cut out cookies.

If you have dipped the cookies into melted chocolate then they should be stored into refrigerator.

Because melted chocolate won’t stay hard at room temperature. To keep the chocolate hard at room temperature, it should be tempered which is very tedious and precision required method.

Dipping into chocolate is optional. It tasted good without chocolate too. But chocolate covered shortbread cookies are my favorite as I love chocolate.

from – Martha Stewart Recipe

More eggless cut out cookies recipes
Chocolate wafers  //  Chocolate sugar cookies  //  Gingerbread men

How to make eggless shortbread cookies (Step by Step Recipe with Photos):

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1) Take all purpose flour and salt in a bowl. Mix well and keep it aside.

2) Take soften butter in another bowl, beat it with electric mixer or with wire whisk by hand till it gets creamy and smooth.

3) Add powdered sugar.

4) Beat it again till it becomes smooth.

5) Add vanilla extract and mix.

6) Add flour.

7) Mix it just till it gets incorporated.

8) Flatten the dough into a disk.

9) Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or till firm. If in hurry put it in the freezer. If it is chilled properly then it will be easy to roll.

10) Once chilled, put the dough between parchment papers or wax papers. Instead you can roll on floured surface.

11) Gently roll it into 1/4 inch thick circle. If dough becomes soft, again pop it into the freeze for 10 minutes to chill. I put the rolled circle in a cookie sheet and chilled.

12) After it chills, cut into circle or heart or any other shape. Gather remaining scrap and roll it again, If it becomes soft then chill again and then roll, cut the cookies.

13) Arrange the cookies into parchment paper or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Again chill it in the freeze till oven is preheating. Why chill again? because cookies will hold their shape while they bake and it will not spread out.

14) Pre-heat the oven to 325 degree F or 165 degree C for at least 10 minutes.

15) Bake cookies into pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes.

16) Let the cookies cool in the sheet for 10 minutes. Then remove it to wire rack to cool completely.

17) Once it cools completely, you can dip them in chocolate. It is optional though.

18) In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate. Or use double boiler method to melt the chocolate. Dip the cookies into melted chocolate.

19) Arrange them into cookie sheet. Keep in refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden the chocolate and then serve. While dipping cookies if melted chocolate hardens then again microwave it for few seconds.

Variation:

• You can add lemon zest or orange zest.
• You can add any spice powder e.g ½ teaspoon cardamom powder or cinnamon powder.
• To make it coffee flavored, you can add 1 ½ teaspoons of instant coffee powder.

Serving suggestion: Enjoy it whenever you are craving for it. Make this during Christmas or any other festival.

4 from 1 vote

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Shortbread cookies recipe (Eggless vanilla cookies)

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)

Course Dessert

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Yield 14 -15 cookies

Author Kanan

Ingredients (1 cup = 240 ml)

For shortbread cookies:

• 1 cup All purpose flour (Maida)
• ⅛ teaspoon Salt
• 1 stick or ½ cup Unsalted butter soften to room temperature
• ¼ cup Powdered sugar (Confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar)
• ½ teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

For chocolate dipping:

• 2 oz or ¼ cup Chocolate chips

Instructions

making shortbread or vanilla cookie dough:

1. Take all purpose flour and salt in a bowl. Mix well and keep it aside.
2. Take soften butter in another bowl, beat it with electric mixer or with wire whisk by hand till it gets creamy and smooth.
3. Add powdered sugar. Beat it again till it becomes smooth.
4. Add vanilla extract and mix.
5. Add flour. Mix it just till it gets incorporated.
6. Flatten the dough into a disk. Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or till firm. If in hurry put it in the freezer.
7. Once chilled, put the dough between parchment papers or wax papers. Instead you can roll on floured surface.
8. Gently roll it into 1/4 inch thick circle.
9. If dough becomes soft, again pop it into the freeze for 10 minutes to chill. I put the rolled circle in a cookie sheet and chilled.
10. After it chills, cut into circle or heart or any other shape.
11. Arrange the cookies into parchment paper or wax paper lined cookie sheet. Again chill it in the freezer till oven is preheated.
12. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C for at least 10 minutes.
13. Bake cookies into pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes.
14. Let the cookies cool in the sheet for 10 minutes.
15. Then remove it to wire rack to cool completely.
16. Once it cools completely, you can dip them in chocolate. It is optional though.

Dipping into the chocolate:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate. Or use double boiler method to melt the chocolate.
2. Dip the cookies into melted chocolate.
3. Arrange them into cookie sheet. Keep in refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden the chocolate and then serve.
4. While dipping cookies if melted chocolate hardens then again microwave it for few seconds.