Sandra This classic Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies Recipe relies on just four pantry staples to create a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth treat. Featuring a high butter content and confectioners’ sugar for a delicate, sandy texture, these cookies are shaped into uniform rectangles and pricked with a fork for a traditional, elegant finish perfect for tea time.
Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies Ingredients
The Essentials:
- 10 tbsp Unsalted Butter: At room temperature. Using unsalted allows you to control the flavor, and the high quality of the butter is paramount here as it is the primary flavor driver.
- 1/2 cup Confectioners’ Sugar: Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar contains cornstarch which ensures the cookies are tender and “short” rather than crisp and gritty.
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour: The structural base.
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract: Adds a subtle floral aroma.
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt: Optional but recommended to cut the richness of the butter.
How To Make Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies
- Cream the Butter: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter and vanilla extract on medium speed until creamy and smooth. You aren’t looking for “fluffy” here (which incorporates too much air), just smooth.
- Add Sugar: Sift in the confectioners’ sugar (and salt, if using). Mix on low speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Incorporate Flour: Add the flour gradually while the mixer runs on low. Beat only until the dough clumps together and no dry flour remains. Do not overmix, or the shortbread will be tough.
- Shape the Log: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to press and mold it into a rectangular prism (a long block with square edges), roughly 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Wrap the block tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill: Refrigerate the dough log for at least 1 hour. The dough must be very firm to slice cleanly.
- Slice: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Unwrap the cold dough. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into rectangular cookies about 1/2 inch thick.
- Decorate: Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper, spacing them an inch apart. Use the tines of a fork or a skewer to prick a decorative pattern of dots (docking) into the surface of each cookie.
- Bake: Bake for about 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The cookies should be pale with just a hint of golden color on the bottom edges.
- Cool: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. They will firm up as they cool.
Recipe Tips
- Why Docking Matters: Pricking the cookies with a fork isn’t just for looks; it allows steam to escape during baking, preventing the shortbread from puffing up and losing its flat shape.
- Butter Quality: Since butter is the main ingredient, splurge on a high-fat European-style butter (like Kerrygold) for a richer flavor and yellower color.
- Slicing Technique: If the dough cracks when you slice it, let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes. If it squashes, put it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Flavor Variations: Joanna suggests adding toasted chopped pecans or a pinch of lavender to the dough for a twist.
What To Serve With Shortbread Cookies
- Earl Grey Tea: The bergamot oil pairs beautifully with the buttery biscuit.
- Lemon Curd: Serve alongside a pot of curd for dipping.
- Strawberries: Fresh fruit cuts the richness.
- Hot Chocolate: A cozy winter pairing.
How To Store Shortbread Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight tin for up to 1 week. Shortbread actually improves in flavor after day one as the butter matures.
- Freeze (Dough): The wrapped dough log keeps in the freezer for 1 month. Thaw slightly before slicing.
- Freeze (Baked): Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 168 kcal
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Sugar: 7g
- Protein: 1g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie.
FAQs
Can I use salted butter?
Yes. If you use salted butter, omit the extra 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt in the recipe.
Why did my cookies spread?
Spreading usually happens if the butter was melted/oily rather than room temperature, or if the dough wasn’t chilled long enough. Keep it cold!
Can I roll and cut shapes?
Yes. Instead of forming a log, chill the dough as a flat disk, then roll it out and use cookie cutters. The baking time will be similar.
Try More Recipes:
- Bobby Flay Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
- Bobby Flay Gingerbread Trifle Recipe
- Bobby Flay Chocolate Mousse Recipe
Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies Recipe
Description
Elegant, 4-ingredient butter shortbread cookies shaped into rectangular fingers and baked until tender.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cream butter and vanilla.
- Mix in sugar and salt.
- Add flour until clumpy dough forms.
- Shape into rectangular log; wrap and chill 1 hour.
- Slice 1/2-inch thick.
- Prick with fork.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 mins (keep pale).
- Cool on rack.
Notes
- Use powdered sugar for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Chill thoroughly for sharp edges.
- Do not overbake; they should remain pale.
- High-quality butter makes all the difference.
Joanna Gaines Shortbread Cookies Recipe
