Christie C. “America ships tons of sugar cookies to Denmark and Denmark ships tons of sugar cookies to America. Wouldn’t it be more efficient just to swap recipes?” ― Michael Pollan
Inspiration for Vanilla Shortbread Cookies, also known as Tea Cakes
If you have ever wanted the best homemade vanilla shortbread cookies of all time, you have come to the right place. Every time I bake and taste these, I think of my own mother (who absolutely loves a good shortbread and sugar cookie) and Mrs. Flowers from Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.
Mrs. Flowers baked these precious tea cakes for a distressed young Maya Angelou as a way of helping her open back up after a personal tragedy. A type of Southern Tea Cake, vanilla shortbread is a cozy cookie made simply with flour, butter, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. They’re easy to prepare and bake, and there are several ways to dress them up from sandwiching them together with jam or caramel to dipping them in chocolate.
For the sake of ease, however, these vanilla shortbread cookies are made simply by cutting 2.5″ to 3″ circles out of the dough, and baking them.
Why You’ll Love This Vanilla Shortbread Cookie Recipe
- Rich, buttery, vanilla flavor
- Only 5 simple ingredients
- Simple to make and bake
- Versatile cookie dough
- Easy recipe to scale up or down
Baking Method
Shortbread can sometimes be dry and overly crumbly. This simple recipe was designed to be moist yet sturdy while also being full of buttery vanilla flavor. This shortbread is to be mixed with your hands to create a structured dough, rolled out across a counter, then cut into desired shapes.
The trick to creating a sturdy shape is to roll the dough into a 1/4” slab, cover it with a layer of cellophane wrap, then allow it to chill in the freezer for no more than five minutes.
If desired, gently roll an embossed rolling pin across the dough to create a beautiful “engraved” surface. Then, use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shape. Arrange the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, or sandwich the cookies between parchment paper and place them into a food storage container.
Freeze the pre-cut cookie dough for 30 minutes, or overnight before baking.
Embossed Rolling Pins add Flaire
My mom gifted me two embossed rolling pins from Poland some Christmases ago, and they’re my favorite way to decorate shortbreads and sugar cookies. I am unsure where she originally bought mine (I believe it was on Etsy), but they can be found on sites such as Embossed, and Pastrymade.
Embossed rolling pins are completely optional. You do not have to use them, and you do not have to purchase them unless you truly want a set. If you’re concerned whether or not these actually work, they absolutely do! I like to very lightly dust the pin with flour before rolling the pattern onto my dough.
Clean your embossed rolling pins carefully since excessive moisture will damage them. To clean after use, use a dry brush or toothbrush to scrape away dough. You can use a damp cloth with a mild detergent for tricky pieces that get stuck. Do not submerge them in water. Once dry, apply a thin layer of mineral oil. This helps to preserve the wood and prevents sticking for future bakes.
If you are germophobic and concerned that this cleaning method is insufficient, don’t worry; solid wood rolling pins tend to be antimicrobial so long as they are not experiencing excessive moisture. You can wipe the rolling pin clean with a 1-1 ratio mixture of vinegar and water just to be certain.
How to get the best flavor
First and foremost, use the ingredients available to you that are kind to your budget. However, if you struggle with bland and tasteless vanilla shortbread, this is typically a result of using poorer quality ingredients. If there is one ingredient that truly carries the shortbread, it is butter. For the best flavor, opt for European or Amish butter, or any brand in which the only ingredients are pasteurized cream and a bit of salt. My favorite easy to access brand is Kerrygold.
Tips for Reliable Baking
For the best results, ensure that the dough is chilled before baking. Also, do not use melted butter. Soft dough will cause the cookies to lose their shape and pattern.
If the dough is too crumbly, it means that too much flour was added during the dusting phase. Knead it a little more until the dough comes together or add 2 teaspoons of cold water at a time to hydrate the dough.
Be sure not to overmix the dough or overbake it. The dough should just come together. Do not over-knead it as though it is bread. Bake the shortbread until they are ever so lightly golden on the edges. The cookies will continue to bake after leaving the oven, so they do not need additional time.
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies Pair Well With…
A delicious side….
A delicious beverage….
A delicious read….
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Special Tools and Equipment
- 2 1/2” to 3” cookie cutters
- Rolling pin
- Embossed rolling pin
Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (200g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
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Place all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands or a wooden spatula, knead the cookie dough until a soft dough develops. It should be slightly crumbly, but still sticks together.
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Lay a 12×12 inch sheet of parchment onto the counter and dust it with flour. Roll the dough out onto the parchment until it is a 1/4 inch thick.
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Place the dough onto a baking sheet. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
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Take the dough out of the freezer and lay the parchment on the table.
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Keeping the dough on the parchment, use an embossed rolling pin to print beautiful textures onto the dough. if desired. Using a cookie cutter that measures between 2 1/2 inches and 3 inches, cut out your desired shapes.
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Set the shapes onto clean parchment lined cookie sheets at least an inch apart from one another. Knead the leftover dough together and roll it out again into a sheet 1/4 thick. If the dough is too soft, chill it again before cutting out additional cookie shapes. Repeat until all of the dough has been used up. You should have 20 to 24 cookies. You can stack the cookies on top of each other so long as they are sandwiched between parchment paper.
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Chill the pre-cut cookies for 30 minutes or overnight.
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Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
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Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly golden at the edges.
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Allow the cookies to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
