I have yummy news! I’m ready to share another recipe with you… A recipe I like to use as cookie decorating base… Melt-in-your-mouth, delicious, buttery shortbread.
The taste difference between it and my sugar cookie recipe is subtle, but this one definitely tastes like a traditional shortbread, and *gasp* has one whole cup of cornstarch in it! I couldn’t believe it when I first made it, and was a little doubtful about how successful the recipe would be, but it turns out that the cornstarch in this version of shortbread is what helps give the cookie a ‘melt-in-your-mouth’ sensation. Thanks to my dear friend Kim whom I adore, for sharing her family’s recipe with me… She’s not on-line, but she’s crazy about baking too, and we’ve experienced many sweet adventures together.
The original shortbread isn’t made with cornstarch and has quite an interesting history, b.t.w., and as it’s often served with tea, I thought it would be fun to make a few Alice in Wonderland decorated cookies with it.
Once Upon A Cookie
Kind of fitting with the whole tea time thing, are these Alice in Wonderland cookies. I can’t wait to make a whole series of other Alice characters, but for now I’m excited to be starting a series of just princess cookies copied from this piece of art. {Thank you, suisei-ojii-sama!} It’s the beginning of another theme I’m looking forward to playing around with… Cookies based on fairy tales, fables and nursery rhymes. There are so many inspirational images and characters out there, I’m looking forward to getting going on these! Besides making a fairytale or fable princess cookie or two each month, I’d like to also do a more extensive collection here and there, like Jack and Jill nursery rhyme cookies.
Do you have a fairytale, fable or nursery rhyme favorite? Which would you like to see cookies made of? Do you have any beautiful images of your favorites you’d like to share?
I haven’t forgotten about the travel theme either… Thanks so much for your amazing suggestions! I have so many great ideas now, thanks to you!
And before I share the yum, yum, yum shortbread cookie recipe, if you’re here trying to decide which recipe you’d like to try for your decorated cookies, I thought I’d do a little comparison between two similar recipes for you, shortbread and sugar cookies.
Cookie Recipe Comparison – Shortbread and Sugar Cookies
I noticed a few key differences between this shortbread and my sugar cookie recipe, which I’ll share with you in case you’d like to make them too:
- The texture of the shortbread dough after mixing is smooth and easy to
eatwork with. The sugar cookie recipe is a stickier dough, and needs to be rolled between parchment and chilled to be able to work with. The taste is worth it though! Both taste scrumptious, in my humble opinion, but the shortbread cookie is easier to make and work with. - The shortbread melt-in-your mouth taste is yummy, but it means the cookies break easier, unfortunately. They’re fine to serve in a bakery, for a function, give to friends etc., but if I were shipping cookies, I would chose the sugar cookie recipe.
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it out:
Shortbread Cookie {Recipe}
Sweet of the Month & Other Sweet Tidbits
A few sweet morsels of information I’d love to share with you:
- The Alice cookie shape was made by hand cutting the dough with a paring knife. Easy enough to do if you’re only doing a few cookies, but a heads-up in case you don’t already know, time-consuming if you’re doing a lot of them. There’s got to be a cutter out there you could use though (drop me a line please if you see one), or even just pipe her on a rectangular cookie.
- I used a Kopykake projector to help me pipe Alice’s shape.
- Click here for the royal icing recipe I used.
- Wouldn’t these adorable Alice in Wonderland printables from The TomKat Studio be perfect for a Wonderland party?! I’m thinking that when I make Alice cookies again (with more of the characters and images), I’ll need to attach these sweet tags from TomKat’s shop to the cookie bags.
- A new Sweet of the Month is up! I’ve changed it to monthly in order to give you more time to vote and more time to prepare if you’re interested in entering. You can find more information on the Sweet of the Month in the FAQ section and can vote for your favorite sweets HERE until February 18th, and if you’d like to enter into the next contest, watch out for a post announcing the dates. I’m thinking maybe we’ll make the next one a Spring/Easter theme.
Drop me a line below, do you have a fairytale, fable or nursery rhyme favorite? Which would you like to see cookies made of? Do you have any beautiful images of your favorites you’d like to share?
Have fun baking!
xo,
Marian
Had to come back again and say… I was a doubting Thomas (or would that be Thomasina?…whatever) I looked at your recipe and thought, “No way! Something’s missing… she must have left something out, eggs, something! I’ll wait and see if she does an “Oops” update with the right ingredients”… well, you didn’t so I broke down and had to try it. These are A-MAZ-ING!!! So delicious… buttery… light. LOVE them. I was also surprised, with that amount of butter, that they held their shape so well too. Thank you for sharing what is now my favorite cut-out cookies.
HI @ D.J.: That’s hilarious! Yes, I know… when Kim gave me the recipe I was doubtful too! I mean ONE CUP of CORNSTARCH!? Weird! But it does work out. I’m so glad you like them too. =)
Hi Marian,
I love all of your work! I just started decorating this year and Im totally addicted! Ha I was hoping you could answer a question……where did you get the edible glitter on the mushrooms?
I can’t wait to try this cookie recipe. It sounds weird but I’m sure it’ll be great. Its always fun to try out a new recipe.
About how many sticks is a lb of butter?
Hi @ Katelyn: 4 sticks. (16 ounces)
@ Laura:
Laura! I’m a red head too and was talking to my daughter recently(she’s a brunette) about how back in my day I never owned a red headed doll because there weren’t any! I was so happy when Little Mermaid came out because there was finally someone that kinda looked like me
@ D.J.:
shortbread is seldom if ever made with eggs. usually butter and flour and sugar and thats it thats why its so crumbly and melts in your mouth. it is a great cookie orginated from scotland.
that is so awesome!!:D
You are amazing!! The more i read the more i convince myself that i want to become a decorater do you know of any classes i can take near greely colorado.
@ Marian (Sweetopia):
Can you please show us how to make Alice step by step? I saw the other disney princesses and would like to try the other ones!
I made the recipe, delicious, but lost the shape of the cutter, what was wrong. I chill 1 hr after cut them.
Question for you, do you think this recipe would work well for shaping cookies and not cut outs? Looking for one that would be good to be handled a little bit to make into ropes and then bent into different shapes – Like a pretzel if you will.
Hi @ Jennifer Paul Gibson: No, I don’t think so, sorry. It would be fine to handle when it was in dough form, but it’s quite delicate once it’s baked… so I’m not sure how well it would do in a solid pretzel-like form. It might break easily. The sugar cookie dough would do better. If it’s sticky for you while you’re making ropes, add some flour. Hope that helps!
Hi @ yvette: Yes, I need to make her! =)
@ sandy blue: Thanks so much for sharing that info.!
@ Angela: I’m sorry, I don’t, but will keep an ear out for you.
@ Katherine: On my ‘to do’ list, absolutely!
@ Norma Mendez: This post should help you: http://sweetopia.net/2011/04/top-8-tips-on-preventing-cookies-from-spreading/
Thanks Marian, I kind of figured but didn’t hurt to ask. Actually while I was waiting for your reply I had a whole different idea on how to use this which I think will work perfectly. Another question – How thick did you roll these out? Same as the sugar cookies or thinner?
@ Jennifer Paul Gibson: Same as the sugar cookies in that sometimes I roll it out thick and sometimes thin… Honestly, not being evasive
you can roll it out however you like it to be. I just go with my mood!
Marion,
Can you explain how to know which color to do first and how to “layer” the colors. With Alice for example which colors did you do first and let dry, and then the next colors and then wait and let dry. Is there a general rule I can follow to decorate?
Thanks! I am so excited to follow your blog!!