Christmas Shortbread Cookies
Festive Christmas tree cookies that are no-spread and full of buttery, soft, yet crispy textures. The perfect shortbread cutout cookie for decorating, these specific cookies use an easy technique using standard buttercream rather than finicky royal icing.
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 225kcal
Equipment
- Digital scale optional, but recommended
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Sharp paring knife or cookie cutter
- Piping bags (or ziptop bags)
- Offset spatula or butter knife
Ingredients
Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Almond Buttercream
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 2-4 tablespoons water
- Food coloring green, or color of choice
- Edible sprinkles and stars optional
Instructions
Shortbread Cutout Cookies
- Cream the butter, sugar, salt, and extracts over medium-high speed until combined, then scrape down the sides. Sift the flour into the bowl, then mix on low speed until just combined.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Remove from the fridge and allow the chill to come off for 10-15 minutes. Place in between two pieces of parchment paper use a rolling pin to roll it out to ¼" thick (it can be any shape, just keep it an even thickness).
- Use the template to carefully cut out the cookies with a sharp paring knife. Squish the scraps back together and roll out again, repeating the same process. Place the cookies on parchment lined cookie sheets and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ while the cookies chill.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan at the halfway mark. Bake only one pan at a time for best results.
- Leave the cookies on the pans until completely cool. Moving them before cooled will cause them to crack.
Almond Buttercream
- Beat the butter on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Sift the powdered sugar into a separate bowl.½ cup unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar
- Slowly add in the powdered sugar, then add in the vanilla and almond extracts and mix on medium high speed for about a minute.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon almond extract
- On medium speed, drizzle in the cream/milk/water by tablespoon until the mixture becomes light, soft, and spreadable. If it feels too thick, add more liquid. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.2-4 tablespoons water
- If coloring the buttercream, separate into bowls and mix in the coloring by hand to desired shades.Food coloring
- Transfer to piping bags or ziptop bags.
Decorating the Cookies
- Starting with the darkest color, pipe 5 dollops at the base of the tree, then use an offset spatula to press halfway into each dollop and pull down to smear. Wipe off the icing and move on to the next row.
- The next rows will be 4 dollops dark green, 3 dollops light green, 2 dollops light green, 1 dollop white.
- Finish the decorating by adding edible stars and other sprinkles of choice.Edible sprinkles and stars
Video
Notes
*See the post write up for a printable tree template.
Store the cookies uncovered at room temperature for about 5 days.
You can also freeze the cookies in a few different phases:
- The discs of dough can be frozen for 3 months, thawed in the fridge, then rolled out.
- The cut and pre-baked cookies can be frozen by flash freezing on a baking pan and then adding to a bag or container to freeze for 2-3 months. They can be baked straight from frozen, but you will need a few extra minutes of bake time.
- The baked cookies can be frozen in a bag or airtight container for 3 months. Uncover and thaw at room temperature, then decorate.
- The full baked, iced, and decorated cookies can be frozen in a zip top bag or airtight container for 3 months (layer between slices of parchment paper). Leave at room temperature (uncovered) to thaw, then eat!
The base cookie recipe was re-tested and updated on 3/14/25 to further reduce spreading during the baking process. For more detailed cookie instructions, see the shortbread cutout cookies recipe post.
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 26mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg
