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How to make perfect whipped shortbread! This is my Grandma’s shortbread recipe that we have been using for decades now and this is the only shortbread that we ever make at Christmas! It makes great gifts and is perfect for your holiday dessert table.
Perfecting Whipped Shortbread
Over the years I have finally perfected my Whipped Shortbread Recipe to the point where I won’t fiddle around with it anymore. Usually when someone asks me about my treasured Christmas recipe, it’s all about my Grandma’s Christmas Pudding. While that is one hundred percent a family favorite, whipped shortbread has always and I do mean always been something that my family bakes at Christmas.
It seems to be something that a lot of Canadian Prairie folk make at Christmas as well. It’s never any other shortbread than whipped. Ever. This is all that graces our dessert tables at Christmas for shortbread.
That might change with my perfecting my Scottish Shortbread recipe however, as those are crispy, buttery perfection! Give those a try if you are looking for a harder shortbread.
Can I use margarine for this recipe?
Over the years, we’ve had to change from a 50/50 split of butter and margarine to all butter. Margarine lately has been declining in quality and lots of brands, specifically Imperial, just do not work with this recipe. It’s better with all butter anyway but if you are curious if you can use margarine, I do not recommend it any longer.
How to Make Whipped Shortbread
To make this whipped shortbread, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- candied cherries
- sprinkles
Directions
- Whip the butter and icing sugar together well. Once it looks all deliciously creamy, resist from eating it by the spoonful, and get your flour ready.
- Start the mixer and slowly add in the flour, until it has all been added in. Then you can proceed to let your mixer do all the work for you and whip it for 6 minutes. You are wanting lighter than air shortbread here.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet or alternatively, use a piping bag and pipe it out. You can also use a cookie press to make shapes.
- Top with sprinkles or a piece of Christmas cherry.
- Bake them in a 275 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes; you want to dry out the shortbread in essence, not bake it, thus the low temperature. (If you have a warm kitchen or live in a warm climate, cool the cookies in the fridge then bake. They won’t flatten out).
How to Store Whipped Shortbread
Whipped Shortbread freezes very easily but also breaks easily so my recommendation is to store in an airtight container in layers between sheets of wax or parchment paper. You can store it in the freezer for a few months easily so if you make them a couple of months prior to Christmas, you can easily thaw them out in time for the holidays and they will taste amazing as always!
Whipped Shortbread Tips and Tricks
- Whipped shortbread is notoriously fragile and while using cookie presses are so much fun, when I gifted the shortbread I wanted it to stay together a bit more. After experimenting, I found that the best way to make it for gifting is using a cookie scoop or piping bag. The rounded dome and thickness helps these airy bites of buttery delight stay together much better than being dropped by the teaspoonful or shapes from a cookie press.
- You can use a cookie press like I did, but they are more fragile and finicky
- Whipping it for at least 6 minutes is also mandatory; most people don’t whip it long enough and then it’s just not as airy as it should be. These cookies should literally melt in your mouth.
- We never have used cornstarch and never will. I find it gives a weird mouth feel to it that I don’t like.
- Baking it a low temperature is the way my family has always made it. We dry it out, like a meringue, and don’t bake it so much. Most recipes are 350 degrees but we have always baked it at 250. However over the years I have found that 275 works the best. This also helps the shortbread melt in your mouth instead of baking up a little bit harder which is what baking it at 350 is going to do.
Without further adieu, here is my whipped shortbread recipe!
Happy Baking everyone!
Love,
Karlynn
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How To Make Perfect Whipped Shortbread
- Prep Time
- 7 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Total Time
- 42 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- Canadian
- Servings
- 24
- Calories
- 106
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- sprinkles for topping if desired
- candied cherries for topping if desired
Instructions
- Whip the butter and icing sugar together well. Once it looks all deliciously creamy, resist from eating it by the spoonful, and get your flour ready.
- Start the mixer and slowly add in the flour, until it has all been added in. Then you can proceed to let your mixer do all the work for you and whip it for 6 minutes. You are wanting lighter than air shortbread here.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough out onto an ungreased baking sheet. You can also use a cookie press and make shaped cookies!
- Top with sprinkles or a piece of Christmas cherry.
- Bake them in a 275 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes; you want to dry out the shortbread in essence, not bake it, thus the low temperature. (If you have a warm kitchen or live in a warm climate, cool the cookies in the fridge then bake. They won’t flatten out).
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Kristine051 says
I have tried this recipe three times and each time once half margarine and twice all butter as the husband didn’t like the margarine taste,they come out flat and start to really brown on the edges.My question is how do you get them so plump and round? Is it really just the cookie scoop? as i have refrigerated the dough and then rolled in to balls but didn’t have cherries to put on top, does that make a difference too? any help getting them plump like the picture would be terrific.
Thank You!
Kristine
Kristine051 says
oh forgot to mention I also baked it at 275 for 30 minutes before the edges stated to really brown. It is also a brand new oven
thekitchenmagpie says
Kristine051 Your oven could be running hotter, that happens for sure with new ovens. Try at 250 but I use a HARD margarine in mine, which when refrigerated can make a difference. The low water content makes a difference. Try adding another 1/4 cup of flour and see if that helps.
CheriSmith says
Can you use self raising flour or should it be all purpose?
MSinNS says
So sad…I consider myself a baker but this recipe went completely flat, used the proper ingredients and my kitchen definitely wasn’t warm here in Nova Scotia. Back to my rolled out shortbreads. Sad to have wasted all that butter! I tried 2 batches with the same results.
Kathleen Taylor says
What kind of hard margarine do you recommend?
KassiaVause says
I know this has been asked but I don’t think it has been answered. Id love to try these, but I refuse to use margarine, has anyone done with just butter and had success?
flamgbant says
KassiaVause I have made them just the other day with all butter and they turned out great, and I made a batch with butter and margarine, personally I didn’t find any difference, they were delish.
dawn says
What mixer attachment do you use to whip? The wire whisk or the paddle?
thekitchenmagpie says
@dawn Use the paddle, whisk attachments are always for liquids only or you would bend/ break them.
flamgbant says
I was wondering how did u get them to stay so rounded dome like , mind melted down thing still very good tasting mind u I would just like to have them stay this way
flamgbant says
thin not thing lol
Amy says
flamgbant Make sure it’s a cookie scoop and then try putting them in the fridge to cool down. If you live somewhere warm or have a warm kitchen they can flatten.
flamgbant says
@Amy flamgbant ok awesome thanks so much, yeah I did use a cookie scoop and they were soft going in the oven , I will try cooling them down next time I make them. thanks again they are delish
Karlynn Johnston says
Salted butter and any margarine that has a good taste to it and is solid, not really light.
Alyson says
I want to try and make these as well… I like the question someone posted, what kind of margarine and salted or unsalted butter?
Karlynn Johnston says
Nope, just add it, doesn’t make a stitch of difference since you whip it so long.
JoanneEverson says
Hi, does the icing sugar and flour need to be sifted before being added?
Karlynn Johnston says
Yes all butter is fine!
Amanda says
Have you ever made them with all butter instead of margarine and butter? Just wondering if they would turn out this way b/c I only have butter 🙂
Valerie says
I’d like to try these. Not sure … is it 1 tsp. or a cookie scoop full. Seems like the size would be considerably different, thus the baking time different as well.
thekitchenmagpie says
@Valerie It’s a small cookie scoop (which is really close to a heaping teaspoon) and I actually have upped the temperature to 275 to compensate for the larger size. The original family recipe is bake at 250, which I find too low. The dome shape is what helps them stay together rather than plopping a heaping tsp on the sheet.
Sherry says
Can I use this recipe for pie crust ?
thekitchenmagpie says
@Sherry No, this isn’t for a short crust.
Sherry says
Can you use this recipe for pie crust ?
DebraAnnMatheson says
im confused about step 6&7? almost the same step but slighly different??
Rona Labiuk says
I’m making this one now and so far so good and still in the oven. I love it
nimish says
Dang autocorrect, it should have said press friendly
nimish says
Is this recipe at all pies friendly, I know you said you don’t use one but I press about half of mime for gifts.
thekitchenmagpie says
@nimish Yes it’s press friendly!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Most likely for a silky feel to the cookie. I just find it bugs me lol!
Lee-Ann Sewell Chin says
Do you know why there is corn starch in the original recipes? *curious*
Jennifer Wasilieff Fleming says
I did half and half like you suggested
Lorilee Scott says
All butter baby! I’m a purist…and I don’t typically have margarine
The Kitchen Magpie says
We’re snacking on some as I type 🙂
The Kitchen Magpie says
Did you use all butter or half margarine?
Lorilee Scott says
Whipped win for sure. Hands down. And this recipe is it.
thekitchenmagpie says
Glad you liked them!
Jennifer Wasilieff Fleming says
I made these following your recipe a week ago, making more tomorrow. They are by far the best and easiest shortbread I have ever made. I will never make any other shortbread ever again! Thank you for the fab recipe!!
Kim says
Hello!
How many does this batch make? Only 12?
Thanks!!!
thekitchenmagpie says
@Kim You would get around 2 dozen in all, It all depends on how large you make them or how small! I always double the batch.
SuzanneDennis says
so perfect
so pretty
i have NEVER made shortbread, ( i KNOW!!! i think i am the only person in alberta who hasnt), cuz i thought it was terribly complicated??
this had changed my cookie life!
will try your fab recipe
su 🙂
aka: getting wider by the minute!
thekitchenmagpie says
SuzanneDennis It’s SO easy! That’s the reason I gift it every year, it’s also inexpensive to make, nut free and soo delicious!