Freezer Shortbread

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Yummy shortbread slices with crispy coloured sugar around the rims!

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  • 24
  • Average
  • 20 mins
  • 10 mins
  • Average budget

Ingredients

  • - 2 cups butter
  • - 1 cup white sugar
  • - 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • - 4 cups flour
  • - coloured decorating sugars: we use red, green and white at Christmas
  • - waxed paper

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350F.

Step 2

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.

Step 3

Stir in vanilla.

Step 4

Add flour; mix really well.

Step 5

You can put the dough through a cookie press and then decorate, or try doing it our way:

Tear 2 long strips of waxed paper.. about 15-18". Spread half the dough out onto each. This takes some finesse, but you are going to wrap up the dough like a burrito, using your hands to form it into as uniform a log as you can get it. Remember to keep pushing in the ends so that they are the same width as the rest of the log. Once it's all wrapped up and formed nicely, put it on a tray and into the freezer for about 10 mins - you just want to get it firmed up a little bit.

Step 6

Remove from freezer and unwrap the paper. I sprinkle my coloured sugar all over the surface of the log, turning it over and using my hands to press the sugar into the dough to make sure it adheres well to all surfaces of the log.

Step 7

Once the log is totally covered, very carefully use a really sharp knife (you can use a very sharp straight knife, or a serrated knife.. either way, cut very carefully so the dough doesn't crumble), cut the log into slices that are about 1/4" - 1/2" thick - however thick you're doing them, just make sure that they're all the same size.

Step 8

Carefully transfer them to a baking sheet. Bake them 10-12 mins, but check them at about 8-9 mins in case your oven has cooked them faster. Don't let them brown.. they should be firmed up with the bottom just very slightly turning golden.

Step 9

Let them cool on baking sheet for 10 mins, and then transfer to cooling rack carefully.
Once the cookies are totally cooled, they have a very wonderful texture - the softness of the cookie with crispy sugar edges.

Step 10

Enjoy!

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If your dough is crumbling it may have been in the freezer too long - let it sit another five mins and try again.

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