Spiced Shortbread Cookies

Ambreen Wajid
by Ambreen Wajid
12 Big Ones
2 hr 42 min

Sugar, gingerbread spice, and everything nice! That’s the saying right? Okay okay, well it definitely should be. Christmas is right around the corner which means all the batches of cookies and cakes and delicious treats are filling up kitchens and tummies! But would any Christmas baking be complete without some spiced shortbread cookies? They’re cozy and spiced, baked to be crumbly and melt in your mouth delicious. I would say this is a sophisticated cookie that you’ll be reaching for in the cold winter mornings to compliment your coffee with- but let’s be real, this is a FUN cookie. It comes with a super simple sugar frosting that can be used to decorate however elegant or silly you would like. (Personally I’m looking forward to baking a batch with my nephews and letting them go to town with decorating in their own special style). Hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do, enjoy your christmas baking (and eating)!!

Recipe details
  • 12  Big Ones
  • Prep time: 150 Minutes Cook time: 12 Minutes Total time: 2 hr 42 min
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Ingredients
For the spiced cookies:
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp five spice powder
  • 1/4 tsp cloves powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp heavy cream or milk
For the sugar icing:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp milk
Instructions
For the spiced cookie:
In the KitchenAid mixer, fix in the paddle attachment. Add the cold butter, powdered sugar, salt, five spice powder, cloves powder, and cinnamon. Beat together on medium-high speed for about 5 minutes.
Scrape bowl to gather dough. Then, on low speed, add in flour gradually. Add in extract and milk/cream, and allow dough to mix together.
Set the dough on a silicone non-sticking baking mat that is sprinkled with flour. Roll out dough to 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness. Make sure to rotate or flip dough after every few rolls so it does not stick to mat. Then tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside in fridge for 2 hours minimum.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and then line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Take out the chilled dough and unwrap it. Using your preferred cookie cutter, begin creating cookie cut outs of dough. Transfer them to prepared sheets, about an inch apart.
Bake until cookie edges have started to barely brown, about 12-15 minutes. Let cookies cool at room temperature.
For the sugar icing:
In a bowl, mix together the powdered sugar with extract and milk. Using a fork, mix together until it eventually becomes a paste. Pour into a piping bag or ziplock bag with a small corner snipped off.
Decorate your cookies with whatever design you would like. Allow the icing to harden completely. Once hardened then stack gently and store in airtight container.
Ambreen Wajid
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Comments
  • Carol Carol on Dec 22, 2021

    No way does this make 12 big cookies. I made rectangles since if did cut outs I would only get about 6 cookies.

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