Description
Festive Christmas shortbread cookie bites deliver delightful holiday cheer with buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crumbles. Sprinkled with colorful sugar and peppermint bits, these miniature treats will charm guests and spark delicious memories of seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
Sweet and Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (40 g) holiday sprinkles
Seasoning:
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare the workspace by arranging oven racks and lining baking sheets with parchment, then heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) for optimal cookie baking conditions.
- Create the base mixture by thoroughly creaming butter and powdered sugar until achieving a smooth, pale consistency that provides the foundation for delicate shortbread.
- Incorporate vanilla extract to infuse the dough with aromatic richness, blending carefully to distribute the flavor evenly throughout the mixture.
- Gradually introduce flour and salt, stirring gently until the ingredients unite into a cohesive dough, being mindful not to overmix and compromise the delicate texture.
- Gently fold holiday sprinkles into the dough, ensuring an even distribution that will create colorful bursts throughout each bite-sized cookie.
- Form compact spheres approximately marble-sized, rolling the dough between palms to create uniform, petite rounds that will bake evenly.
- Arrange cookie balls on prepared baking sheets, positioning them with slight separation to allow for minimal spreading during the baking process.
- Slide the trays into the preheated oven, baking for 8-10 minutes until the edges develop a subtle golden hue, indicating perfect doneness.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for five minutes, which helps them stabilize and prevents potential crumbling during transfer.
- Migrate the delicate morsels onto a wire cooling rack, permitting complete cooling and ensuring a crisp, delectable texture.
- Store the finished cookies in an airtight container or package them in festive tins, creating charming edible gifts for holiday celebrations.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 15-30 minutes before shaping to prevent spreading and maintain the perfect bite-sized shape.
- Customize sprinkles based on the holiday or occasion, using festive colors or themed mix-ins like crushed candy canes or red and green sugar.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother mixing and better dough consistency, ensuring the butter is soft but not melted.
- For gluten-free options, swap traditional flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the same delicate texture and buttery flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg