Shortbread Christmas Ornament Cookies (Eggless)

Christmas is right around the corner, let's sprinkle some kindness and gratitude everywhere as we are nearing the end of this year. Fun, whimsical, with a touch of nostalgia, is one of the highlights of these holiday treats. The Classic Shortbread Cookies are an easy and kid-friendly recipe with bare minimum ingredients. Most importantly, these are guaranteed to melt in your mouth! 

Holidays are such a perfect chance to spend time together with family, and it so happened that my little one's top favorite activity is to bake cookies with Mama. A playful and easy shortbread cookie recipe with endless decorating options. Bake these goodies ahead of time and hang them on your evergreen Christmas tree.

Wanna go the extra mile with decorating your cookies? The one innovative step was to add crushed candy pieces, especially lollipops, for a luminous cookie when lit with a mini light or candle behind. This tip will work perfectly well for a gingerbread house.  Edible ornament cookies are what we came up with during the baking process. Make a hole before baking to insert a ribbon or string to tie up. The lollipop sticks are all we used to make the patterns for our cookies.

Illuminated Cookie

Additionally,  you can add flavors (citrus, spices, nuts), color your dough, or simply keep it plain. Sprinkles, chocolate frosting can add the festive colors instantly. Skipped the royal icing to keep these ornamental cookies egg-free. You would agree that these cookies can be a last-minute quick baking idea for the little fingers to give it a try. 

The almond flour can be swapped with all-purpose flour if you want to keep it nut-free. The almond extract gives a lovely aroma to these shortbread cookies, although it's totally optional. 

Christmas is not complete without a cuppa hot chocolate as we cuddle around the fireplace. What a great pairing with these freshly baked cookies! Come on.. if you don't indulge during these holidays, when will you? Grab your baking pan and put on your baking cap to enjoy baking with your kiddos during this season, lovely people. 

Happy Holidays, folks!

PREP+ REST TIME

15 +30 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hr

Category: Dessert, sugar treats

Cuisine: International
Level: Easy

Yields: 25-30 cookies

Nutrition Facts
Servings 25.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 98
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8 g	12 %
Saturated Fat 5 g	23 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 19 mg	6 %
Sodium 48 mg	2 %
Potassium 0 mg	0 %
Total Carbohydrate 6 g	2 %
Dietary Fiber 0 g	1 %
Sugars 3 g
Protein 1 g	1 %
Vitamin A	5 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	0 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA

INGREDIENTS

1. All-purpose flour - 1 & 1/2 cups

2. Almond flour - 1/2 cup

3. Butter - 1 cup (softened)

4. Confectioners sugar (powdered) - 1/2 cup

5. Pure Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

6. Almond extract - 1/2 tsp (optional)

For decoration: (optional)

Sugar sprinkles - used red and green
Chocolate 

Cling wrap - to wrap and set in the refrigerator.
Ribbon/ string to tie

 DIRECTIONS

1. In a clean mixing bowl, whip up your softened butter until creamy. To this, add the confectioners'/ powdered sugar and whip on low speed to prevent any splatter. 

2. Once it's well incorporated, add the all-purpose and almond flour in portions until it forms a dough consistency. Now is the time to add the vanilla and the almond extract. Give it a good mix and remove the dough.

3. Make it into a disc shape and wrap it with a cling wrapper and refrigerate it for 15 mins only*. Remove and flatten using a rolling pin on a dusted flat surface. Flatten to 0.6 of an inch and use the cookie cutters to cut out your shapes, else just cut them into small rectangular-shaped cookies. Play with your kids' creativity to make the shapes and patterns. 

4. Place these cut-out cookies on a lined (with parchment paper) cookie tray at least an inch apart so they don't expand to stick to each other while baking. Decorate with sugar sprinkles if you like.

5. Slide it back for another 15 minutes in the refrigerator to retain the shape as it bakes. Simultaneously, turn on your oven to preheat to 350°F.

6. Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes until you see a slight golden color on the sides of your cookies.

7. Cool on a cookie rack if you choose to frost it. Royal icing and chocolate work just fine.  Once set, store in an airtight container. 

NOTES AND TIPS                                    

1. If you accidentally place the cookie dough for more than 15 mins in the refrigerator, place it on the counter for a few mins else the dough can break easily when you try to cut it.

2. The cookie dough must be refrigerated twice (15 mins each) to retain its shape.