Melt in Your Mouth Shortbreads

If it weren’t for mom I wouldn’t be half the baker I am today. I truly got my start in the kitchen growing up and learning from her.
She was always known in the family and among her friends as the queen of baked goods (still to this day honestly)

She always had the best treats no matter what, and although she may deny it when I say it, she really truly is where it all began. She tells me and others all the time that the student (me) has surpassed the teacher, but without the fundamentals and solid foundation I wouldn’t have had a clue.

Growing up these cookies were a staple at any celebration. I always remember mom making these a little hearts with a delicate rosette on the top left side of the heart and 1 silver dragee (silver candy bead) placed in the center of the buttercream.

In fact she still makes them every year for Valentine’s Day

Not the best photograph but taken from her social media from this past year.

Mom used to make these by the hundreds, so delicate, perfect and OH SO Delicious.

These cookies had one distinct quality, one that makes them irresistible.
They quite simply just melt in your mouth!

When you take a bite of these lighter than air cookies, the once solid cookie turns to a smooth creamy liquid like state on your tongue.
They have a beautifully rich butte flavor mixed with the creaminess of the cookie makes each bite dreamy.

When I started baking on my own I knew this recipe had to make it into my repertoire because they are just irresistible, in fact they have become my wife’s absolute favorite baked good of mine.

Now I’ll be honest, since mom gave me this recipe I have made some changes to it (for the better of course) but I am just never happy with leaving a recipe as is.
If you are following along with my journey on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship these are the cookies that nearly made Duff’s eyes pop out of his head! And I am sharing it here with you today 🙂

The big secret to these cookies is cornstarch. I don’t know if you have ever mixed cornstarch with water and played in it (my kids LOVE doing this by the way) but these cookies act much the same.

I recommend you make extra because they won’t last long!

The perfect shortbread

Now the glaze, that’s my cookie glaze recipe, it’s more than just icing sugar and water it has a few more ingredients to help keep it shiny, and beautiful.
When glazing the cookies you need to be EXTREMELY careful, they are so delicate that they may crumble in your hands  (but then that just means you get to eat the “mistakes”)

Grab your apron (and your stretchy pants, sorry I feel like I need some sort of disclaimer here) and bake your way to a larger waste line … UGH I mean bake your way into the hearts of friends and family all over… that is, if you share!

***Don’t have time to make these cookies now, PIN for later 🙂

Print Recipe

Melt in Your Mouth Shortbreads

When you take a bite of these lighter than air cookies, the once solid cookie turns to a smooth creamy liquid like state on your tongue.  They have a beautifully rich butte flavor mixed with the creaminess of the cookie makes each bite dreamy. 

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cook Time

8-10 Minutes

Passive Time

30-40 Minutes

Servings

2" cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookie

• 3/4 Cup Butter, Softened Real butter is key here - See notes
• 1/2 Cup Icing Sugar
• 1.5 tsp Vanilla
• 1 1/8 Cup All Purpose Flour (1/8 cup = 2T)
• 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
• Pinch Salt

Glaze

• 1 1/4 Cup Icing Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Clear Corn Syrup Glucose works here as well
• 1 Tbsp Melted Butter
• 1-2 Tbsp Warm Water
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Almond or other flavorings will work here.

Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 8-10 Minutes Passive Time 30-40 Minutes Servings 2" cookies Ingredients For the Cookie 3/4 Cup Butter, Softened Real butter is key here - See notes 1/2 Cup Icing Sugar 1.5 tsp Vanilla 1 1/8 Cup All Purpose Flour (1/8 cup = 2T) 1/2 Cup Corn Starch Pinch Salt Glaze 1 1/4 Cup Icing Sugar 1 Tbsp Clear Corn Syrup Glucose works here as well 1 Tbsp Melted Butter 1-2 Tbsp Warm Water 1/2 tsp Vanilla Almond or other flavorings will work here.

Instructions

For the cookie

1. In mixer cream butter and sugar on medium high, until smooth and creamy
2. Add Vanilla and mix until incorporated
3. Sift flour, cornstarch and salt together
4. Add dry ingredients to butter and mix on low until fully incorporated
5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
6. To roll, dust surface with flour and roll at least 1/4" thick. Cut your desired shape - Any shape will work as these cookies do not spread.
7. Place on parchment lined baking sheet
8. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. You do not want any color on these cookies. They will loose their shine when done
9. Allow to cool before glazing

Cookie Glaze

1. Mix all ingredients, except water, in a bowl.
2. Add water 1 Tbsp of water. And the remaining 1Tbsp as needed to get a slow flowing glaze.
3. To marble, separate glaze into desire number of smaller bowls leaving a larger quantity of the white for a base. Color each as desired
4. Using a spoon drizzle colored glaze randomly over the white
5. Gently holding the cookies place them face down into the glaze and lift carefully allowing the excess glaze to drip off. --- Every 2 -3 cookies you will need to add more of your colors to the top of your white glaze.
6. Set aside and allow glaze to form a "skin" 10 minutes or so.

Recipe Notes

It's important that you use real butter for these cookies. There are very few ingredients so there is nothing to hide behind. Margarine will still create a great cookie but you will lose the buttery taste.

This shortbread dough will also work for a tart crust.
Prepare the same way and press into a tart pan, bake at the same temperature for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of your tart pan.

Lemon tart with Shortbread crust

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