Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery shortbread enriched with vanilla, decorated with edible flowers and sugar for a floral touch.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - 1 egg white, lightly beaten
07 - 1/4 cup edible dried flowers such as rose petals, lavender, violets, or calendula
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift flour and salt into butter mixture. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with beaten egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until edges are pale golden. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttery shortbread melts on your tongue in the most satisfying way, and somehow edible flowers make it feel fancy without being fussy.
  • You'll have 24 beautiful cookies that look like they came from a fancy bakery, but you made them with your own hands in about an hour total.
02 -
  • Overbaking by even two minutes will make these cookies hard and bitter—watch the clock closely and trust that they'll firm up as they cool.
  • Room-temperature butter is non-negotiable; if yours is still cold, your dough will be lumpy and won't cream properly no matter how long you beat it.
03 -
  • Don't let your butter get too warm or it'll separate when you cream it; if it starts to look greasy, refrigerate it for five minutes and start again.
  • The egg white acts as glue, so brush it on sparingly—too much will make the flowers slide and the cookies overly shiny.
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