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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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Sophie Nakoneczny says
Have been making Whipped Shortbread for many years!
Karlynn Johnston says
It’s the best!
Darcie_R says
Re: the whipping time, I was thinking the same so I will give that a go, as well as adding a touch more flour. Thank you!
Darcie_R says
The taste of the shortbread is amazing however, for me they come out so fragile. You can barely get them to your mouth before they crumble everywhere. I am not a novice baker at all but I am sure it’s something I’m doing.
Also despite following the directions to a “t”, mine still spread :s
Any suggestions?
thekitchenmagpie says
Darcie_R Hmmm. Cut your whipping time in half ( adds less air) and try adding in another 1/4 cup flour. Your butter could have a higher water content, or you know, the cookie gods were mad that day ;). More flour will stabilize them in case it is your other ingredients and less whipping means less air. It’s VERY forgiving if you want to add in some dry ingredients!
KimberleeMatwie says
I love these !!
Lesley says
You have 2 posts of this recipe, one using 250 degrees, and one using 275. Which would be best please?
Also, would the timings alter?
I’m assuming this is degrees Celsius?
They sound lovely and cannot wait to try making, but could you also provide imperial or metric measures rather than U.S cup system please?
Many thanks
thekitchenmagpie says
@Lesley Hi Lesley,
There are converters online for Imperial measurements, my cookbook is also in the US cup system, so it’s what we use here. You can do either temp – you are in essence drying it out. If you use 275, it’s faster timing than 250. My Grandma would use 250, but I am a modern impatient gal and use 275 and cut out about 7-8 minutes of bake time!
Trudy says
Wow! Wow! Wow! …best whipped shortbread cookies ever. In past years, I’ve always made this recipe using only butter. But thought I’d follow your recipe exactly as written (i.e. using margarine, chilling batter before scooping and using the lower oven temperature).
They kept their nice cookie shape (they didn’t flatten like the pure butter ones do).
Thanks to your tip of using 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine, I have started doing this with other cookie recipes and find that all of my cookies now keep their shape.
We also found the tip for chilling the dough made it much easier to come out of the scoop.
And your lower cooking temperature ensured a light, airy, melt in your mouth cookie.
…like my husband said—this recipe is a keeper!
Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe and explaining your methods. You have raised the bar on this one.
Happy New Year!
Colleen Walsh Earle says
I used all butter
The Kitchen Magpie says
There is absolutely something wrong with your butter or margarine! That’s from a watery product.
Colleen Walsh Earle says
After being in the fridge.
Missy Briannamari Andrenova says
Made these yesterday! Delicious
Chantel Mcevoy says
My fave.. I make these often. Tomorrow I am making them with a touch of peppermint extract and candy cane kisses
Jolene Lange says
I made these this year. Yummy and easy peasy!
Bridget Abby Normal says
Chrissy Sellars make these for me 😉
SerenaS says
These spread whether I chill them or not 🙁
Wendy Craig says
I made a batch of these cookies yesterday. I followed your advice and used 1/2 margarine and 1/2 butter, even though I normally only use butter. They are the best shortbread cookies that I have ever had. I am going to make a double batch this afternoon.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
thiesslisa says
Celsius or Fahrenheit
Andrea says
I’m excited to try this recipe! Would it work it i added some jam on the top? Not sure how fragile these babies are. TIA!
MichelleMiller4 says
Do you used cold butter/marg or room temperature?
The Kitchen Magpie says
Awesome! I’m glad to hear it!
Kimberly J. Stonehouse says
Thank you for posting this is the best recipe works out perfectly.
Shelley Smiley says
Thank you very much! 🙂 I certainly will!
Jennifer Print says
So making these!!! Does it make a difference if you use a darker cookie sheet?
The Kitchen Magpie says
I’ve been sharing a lot on here, scroll down for my roll cookies and my walnut raspberry thumbprint ones!
Shelley Smiley says
I’m going to use this awesome recipe to make thumbprint cookies with the jam in the top (likely strawberry). 🙂 I’m making 3 dozen for a cookie exchange. Any other recipes you can recommend to me as I need 2 more cookie recipes for the exchange so I have 9 dozen all together. 🙂
Margaret Hudson says
I will try this year. Something new for my Christmas baking! \U0001f600 thanks for posting
Melissa Kathryn says
Made these last Christmas and lost the recipe! Thank you for posting it again!
Jacque Tanner Levine says
Made these last Christmas , they are soooo good! Yum
Raeleen Tascona says
This is my go to recipe! Shhhh… Don’t tell grandma!
Elsie Ruholl says
Could never make them perfect.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Aww that’s wonderful to hear!