↑

Man versus Cake

Breaking the Stereotypes

  • Home
  • Learn it
  • Eat It
  • Need Me?
  • Who’s The Man
  • Shop
  • Cart

Subscribe to the newsletter

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
You are here: Home / Recipes / Melt in Your Mouth Shortbreads

Melt in Your Mouth Shortbreads

April 10, 2018 by Aaron 21 Comments

Tweet
Pin496
Share131
627 Shares

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 ๐Ÿ™‚

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 handsย  (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 ๐Ÿ™‚

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.ย  They have a beautifully rich butte flavor mixed with the creaminess of the cookie makes each bite dreamy.ย 
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

Share this Recipe
Tweet
Pin496
Share131
627 Shares

Filed Under: cookie, Recipe Tagged With: almond glaze, bake, baking, marble glaze, melt, melt in your mouth, mom, moms shortbread, psychedelic, recipe, shortbread, shortbread cookie, spring baking championship

Comments

  1. Kara Andretta says

    August 29, 2018 at 10:07 pm

    Made these into squirrels glazed with mango icing. OMG AARON!!!!

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      September 1, 2018 at 12:33 pm

      Itโ€™s only okay if you used the squirrel rolling pin too!!

      Reply
      • liz says

        November 23, 2021 at 8:12 pm

        Just wondering if this dough can be rolled into logs thanks

        Reply
        • Aaron says

          November 23, 2021 at 8:18 pm

          Hi Liz

          It absolutely can
          I have rolled it in logs, rolled the logs in sprinkles – chilled for easy slicing – sliced and baked ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
    • Irene Wilson says

      May 6, 2020 at 10:54 am

      Hi Aaron, your recipe says : Icing Sugar……. Is this real icing sugar or is it Castor Sugar? (that is ground normal sugar?)
      Dying to try these! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Aaron says

        August 11, 2020 at 10:19 pm

        Hi Irene

        I thought I responded to this and Iโ€™m so sorry if I hadnโ€™t (I donโ€™t see the reply)

        Itโ€™s icing sugar/confectioners sugar not castors

        Reply
        • Michelle says

          February 28, 2022 at 5:20 pm

          Hello Aaron, I just watched the episode with this cookie and now must try it. I know you answered this but Iโ€™m still a little confused about the sugar for the cookie. Is it powdered sugar that you use for the cookie?

          Reply
          • Aaron says

            February 28, 2022 at 5:21 pm

            Hi Michelle,

            Thank you so much.
            Yes powdered sugar is correct

  2. Rob says

    September 3, 2018 at 2:02 am

    When baking do you use salted butter or unsalted?

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      September 3, 2018 at 1:19 pm

      Hi Rob

      I use unsalted butter always ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  3. Kate says

    November 5, 2018 at 10:42 am

    I made these for a Halloween party recently and they were a big hit! Delicious and incredibly easy to make. I was wondering how far in advance you can make them and can you freeze them? (If so, how would you freeze them?)

    Reply
  4. Kate says

    November 5, 2018 at 10:51 am

    Hi! Loved watching you on Spring Baking Championship and finally made these delicious (and incredibly easy to make!) cookies. They were a big hit. With the holidays coming up, I was wondering how far in advance I can make these? Can I freeze them? Thank you ! (also, apologies if I am posting this twice!)

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      November 5, 2018 at 10:54 am

      Hi Kate!

      Thank you so much ๐Ÿ™‚ and I am so glad the cookies were a hit!

      Yo can easily make these now and freeze them for the holidays. I would glaze them as needed but the cookies themselves can be made. You can also just make the dough and freeze that ๐Ÿ™‚ or even roll, cut, and freeze the dough and just take out and bake fresh as needed.

      Possibilities are endless ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Kate says

        November 5, 2018 at 11:09 am

        Awesome! I’m big in to things I can make early and freeze (I have a 2 year old, so that is my life haha). I can’t wait to make these again for the holidays! Thank you!

        Reply
  5. Nancy Christiansen says

    February 12, 2020 at 12:59 pm

    In the cookie ingredients section, it says 1.5 tsp vanilla. Is that one-half tsp or one and a half tsp? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      February 12, 2020 at 1:01 pm

      Hi Nancy

      It is one and one half tsp ๐Ÿ™‚

      I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as everyone else ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Nancy Christiansen says

        February 12, 2020 at 1:02 pm

        I’m sure I will! Making these for Valentine’s Day. Thanks so much for the clarification!

        Reply
  6. Amanda says

    March 28, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    Hey Aaron! My daughter and I saw you on Spring Baking Championship and went looking for this recipe after Duffs reaction. Thank you for posting it!

    Weโ€™ve made them a few times and they are wonderful even after a day or so but the glaze looses its shine and they look start to look cloudy. Are we doing something wrong or is the shine meant to be short-lived?

    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      April 3, 2020 at 9:00 pm

      Hey Amanda

      Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! Glad they are a hit in your home as well.

      They glaze over time will loose some of its shine but should still remain a nice smooth surface.

      They were so shiny on tv due to how quickly they were eaten.
      You arenโ€™t doing anything wrong ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. Deana says

    April 3, 2020 at 8:57 pm

    I wanted to try these after seeing Duff’s reaction to them on Holiday Baking Championship. I was curious what the response would be from my husband. OMG he LOVED them and said ” this is a little slice of heaven!” Thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Aaron says

      April 3, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      Oh Deana
      Thank you so much for trying these cookies! They certainly are a hit..

      So happy they were enjoyed by your family as well ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WELCOME, I'M AARON! I am a self-taught Red Seal baker and specialty cake decorator and College Baking and Pastry Arts Instructor. I am located in Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, an island as far east in Canada as you can go! I am married to an amazingly supportive wife and we have 3 very energetic boys! READ MORE

What are you looking for?

Craftsy Unlimited FREE 7 day trial at Craftsy.com
300 X 250px

Recent Posts

  • Christmas Traditions – eBook November 25, 2021
  • Caramel Apples October 30, 2021
  • Pumpkin Scones October 5, 2021
  • Chocolate No-Bake Cheesecake August 30, 2020
  • No-Bake Cheesecake Bars August 12, 2020

categories

archives

search

Copyright ยฉ2023, Man versus Cake. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs
 

Loading Comments...