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 choose 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.
- If you’d like to make these Alice cookies as a gift, but don’t have the time to make too many, wouldn’t these be a nice added touch? Just had to share with you!
- 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
Adorable! I love this idea for a party- will definitely think of this when my girls are older. Thanks for the inspiration!
Most adorable Alice ever. Thanks for sharing your shortbread recipe. I have made shortbread for decorating in the past for a friend who has a child with an egg allergy and I agree they taste delicious but are more apt to break.
You amaaaze me, Rosie. Those are adorable.
Love.
Love.
Love.
Alice is my favorite! 🙂
Soooo cute! I loved it!
i’ll try this next time I bake cookies…
So sweet and adorable Marian! Can’t wait to try the recipe!
These are just darling, love them!
These are adorable!! What kind of icing do u use to make Alice? Is it the color flow?
Thanks all!
@ Jennifer: Here’s the link to the royal icing recipe I use:
https://sweetopia.net/2012/01/royal-icing-recipe-free-illustrated-recipe/
Totally amazing. I love your design. Alice couldn’t look better.
That is so cute. I love it.
love, love, love the mushrooms…so whimsical
Have you ever made any of your sugar cookies gluten free? I am allergic to wheat and potatoes, and I have found that most of the gluten free items available contain potato starch. Any suggestions? I have been making cakes and sugar cookies for 30 years, I just can’t eat them. I tried the only gluten free mix I found that did not contain potato starch and the cookies were thin and bland. Even with butter and vanilla added.
Marian, these are adorable! Alice is so stinkin’ cute! (The TomKat Studio has such cute things, and I love how you turned them into cookies.) I love, love, love shortbread, so I’ll have to try baking and decorating using this idea. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Your Alice is beautiful, and I adore shortbreads! My older son likes to make Shortbread Bites, too. The recipe is simple & has just 5 ingredients. I love popping one on my tongue and feeling it literally *melt* away!
Did you see all of the “Once Upon a Time” baby shower fairytale cookies posted yesterday on Flour Box Bakery? I was blessed to be a part of it, creating cookies for my favorite movie, Aladdin. If you haven’t seen all of our cookies, be sure to pop over – my friends made some true works of art! 🙂
I’m looking for a cute shape to make cookies for a father/daughter dance. Any ideas?
These well be perfect for tomorrow’s meeting I need to attend!
How thick do you make your cookies? Mine have a tendency to be too thin.
Thank you!
Sweet~Girl…there are no words to describe the lovely~ness of these cookies!
PURE MAGIC…that’s what they are.
Delighted to have the Shortbread recipe.
I’ll be putting that to good use.
You are magic my friend!
I just don’t see how you and Bridget decorate cookies like you do.
What a GIFT!
xoxoxo
Gaaah!!! There are NO words for how cute that Alice is! Beautiful work as always! I use your sugar cookie recipe (just tonight, actually!) and people tell me it tastes shortbread-y to them so I can’t wait to try this one! Thnks so much for sharing!
You never fail to disappoint us – absolutely brilliant – great job
I want to tell you that I am a very big fan of yours! Now that I see your Alice Cookies, I’m even more in love with your work! Alice is my favorite!! I love EVERYTHING you do! I haven’t read not one post I don’t admire! Thank you for being my inspiration!
Shortbread is my favorite type of cookie and your Alice is just a sweet as can be!
Alice looks great – where did you get the cookie cutter? I would love one to try to decorate
I ♥ IT!
Wonderful job!
SOOOOO delicately piped! I love her!
And I was thinking that you could piece together a bell (on top) and an umbrella or mushroom (bottom) to make the Alice cookie. You know, in case you needed to make lots more. Like umm, there was a need to send them to Korea or something. 🙂
Alice in Wonderland/Through the looking glass: is my favorite book. I would LOVE to see 1.The Cheshire cat! =^_^=…& 2.Little Red riding Hood, & little miss muffet, Bo Peep, or Goldie Locks as well <3
these are so adorable. I am sure they take time and patience. I would love to give them a go, i just feel so nervous! These are too fantastic! U are an artist!
Hi there. So I am on my trip of a life time in Malaysia and Bali and I find myself reading your site in the evenings. … I think I am obsessed with cookies. This cookie is so beautiful. Maybe one day I will be able to make this cookie. You are amazing.
I use a shortbread cookie for my cookies with berry sugar and they turn out great also.
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
Great Work xo
Oh my goodness, these cookies rock my world! Alice was my favorite childrens story!
Beyond adorable!And I looove Alice in Wonderland.
xoxo.
L.
So cute and I can’t wait to try the shortbread recipe. I LOVE shortbread! I can’t wait to get my Kopykake so I can create adorable images. Think I’ll start with my favorite fairytale, Sleeping Beauty!
FANTASTIC!!! Thank You for sharing the shortbread recipe! Going to give it a try!
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for shortbread. Thank you for posting this one…I’m going to try it. I love your Alice…the piping is incredible…so precise!! You are amazing.
Awesome!!..thanks for sharing..wonder if dis recipe suitable for cookies sticks?
I love alice, how cute is this!
This recipe looks perfect! Sugar cookies and I just don’t get along….and the alice cookies are beautiful. I’ve just been reading the Everything Alice craft book and thinking of an Alice birthday party for my daughter this year. I just may have to tackle this whole royal icing concept and make these for her!
Thank you for your generosity in giving us that recipe! I keep coming back to your site to look at the 7 wonders of the baking world! Seriously I just have never seen such perfection. I’m constantly amazed and dazzled by your ability.
amazing!!! you are so creative and owsome….I love your Alice and the mushrooms are so cute.
I have to try the recipe you are sharing with all of us.
My favorite childhood story would be “HEIDI”
ML
awww they are so cute!! Thanks for the recipe!!
Amazing! So beautiful! 🙂
IT LOOKS AMAZING!! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW CINDERELLA WOULD LOOK. MY THEME WEDDING IS CINDERELLA AND I WOULD LOVE TO INCORPORATE THESE COOKIES AS FAVORS.
LOVE ADORE OMG ETC
It’s perfect!!!!
Will you be sharing your “Tutorial” (colors etc) for these anytime soon?
Whoops – Sorry my earlier posting should have read “you never disappoint us” NOT you never fail to disappoint us should have been
Je suis en Amour avec tes Biscuits d’Alice ♥ Sont trop mignons ! Je prends la recette je vais tenter le coup 😉 Merci de tout coeur ♥
I commented this morningggg, its not heeere.. maybe because I posted hyperlinks too? (spam?)
ahhh..
Let me know, missssss XOXO
Absolutely, positively breathtaking!!!!
I have a “silly” question. In baking, a recipe’s success is all about measuring accurately. For example: you mentioned 1 cup (5 oz or 142 g) icing sugar (confectioner’s or powdered sugar)…1 cup (5 oz cornstarch)….3 cups (15 oz flour).
Are those typo’s? 1 cup where I’m from is 8 oz. To measure by the amounts you have listed would greatly alter and affect the outcome of my recipe. 🙂
See what I mean?
I truly hope I have not offended you…NOT my intention at all. Shortbread is one of my alllll time favorite cookies!