Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery shortbread with delicate floral accents, offering a charming and elegant baked treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - 1 egg white, lightly beaten
07 - 1/4 cup edible dried flowers
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift in flour and salt. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake 16-18 minutes, until edges are pale golden. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cookies in a decorative box for gifting.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The dough is impossibly buttery and tender without being fussy or temperamental.
  • Edible flowers transform simple shortbread into something that feels fancy enough for a gift, yet takes almost no extra effort.
  • These cookies stay fresh for days, so you can bake ahead without stress.
02 -
  • Overbaking shortbread is its greatest enemy—those pale golden edges mean the cookies are done, even if they feel soft when warm; they'll firm up as they cool.
  • Use only food-grade, pesticide-free edible flowers; regular florist flowers are treated with chemicals and absolutely shouldn't be eaten.
03 -
  • Room-temperature butter creams faster and more evenly than cold butter, so take it out of the fridge at least an hour before baking.
  • If your egg white seems too runny for brushing, let it sit for a minute or two so some of the liquid evaporates and it becomes more of a wash than a puddle.
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