Best Shortbread Cutouts Recipes

SHORTBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour. Transfer dough to a clean work surface; knead gently to form a smooth dough, about 2 minutes. (Mixture will be very crumbly at first, but will come together and form a dough as it's kneaded.), Divide dough in half. Roll each portion between two sheets of waxed paper to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2- to 3-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. If desired, sprinkle with colored sugar., Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

GINGER SHORTBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk the flour, ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, brown sugar and molasses in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture until incorporated.
• Roll out the dough until 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies with 3-inch cookie cutters; arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and reroll to cut out more cookies. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
• Whisk the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and thick. Transfer the icing to a small resealable bag. Snip a small corner and decorate the cookies. Let set 15 minutes.

ALMOND SHORTBREAD CUTOUTS

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine the flour, almonds, sugar and salt; cover and process until almonds are finely ground. Cut butter into cubes; add to processor. Pulse on and off until mixture resembles coarse crumbs., Combine the yolk, water and almond extract. While processing, gradually add yolk mixture; process until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes with floured cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. , Bake at 325° for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

DECORATED SHORTBREAD CUTOUTS WITH NUTELLA® HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together, except for the Nutella® hazelnut spread, for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough becomes workable.
• Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until it reaches a thickness of around 1/8th of an inch.
• Cut out the dough using a cookie cutter or a stencil.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and position the baking rack in the middle of the oven.
• Transfer the cookies onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool down on the tray.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle (about 1/16th of an inch) with the Nutella® hazelnut spread and pipe 1/2 tbsp of Nutella® hazelnut spread on half of the cookies and assemble with the other half.
• Finish your cutout cookies with Nutella® hazelnut spread.