3-INGREDIENT BUTTERY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Really awesome shortbread is made with just 3 simple ingredients.These buttery shortbread cookies are brimming with delicious melt-in-your-mouth flavors.Dress them up with sprinkles, drizzles, or keep them pure and simple.  Absolutely addictive.

Ready or not, Christmas is a quick countdown away.  Just to make sure I don’t forget it, the kids are all home for two whole weeks.

We’re neck deep in cookies all over our kitchen and will hopefully continue the trend in the next couple of days.  When there are Littles at home and they have friends, sometimes they all come swarming…and cookies disappear in nanoseconds.

We had such fun over the weekend celebrating the holidays early with some family and friends.  I can’t count how many kiddos were there. At least fifteen of them, and half of them unapologetically hungry teens.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups salted butter, cold and cut into pieces
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4½ cups all purpose flour, divided
• Optional: Your favorite sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325F, with rack on lower middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add butter and brown sugar. Using paddle attachment on medium-high speed, mix until fluffy and light, several minutes. Add 3½ cups of the flour and mix on medium-low speed until combined.
3. On a large board, sprinkle ½ cup flour. Knead dough by hand for 5 minutes, adding as much of the remaining ½ cup flour as needed to make a soft dough. The dough should end up soft and pliable, similar to play-dough, not sticky. Work in desired amount of sprinkles, if using. (You may not end up using all the flour, depending on how your dough feels.)
4. Divide dough into thirds, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll and cut shapes. Roll one-third of the dough out to about ½ inch thickness (lightly flour board if needed.) Either cut into 3x1 rectangular strips, triangles, or use cookie cutter for shapes. Place each cookie 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Poke cookies with fork to design if not using sprinkles.
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. If your shapes are smaller, bake less time. Bake longer for bigger shapes. Repeat with the remaining dough, working in batches so dough stays chilled and workable.
6. Cool completely on wire rack before serving. Cookies keep very when sealed airtight, at room temp.

NOTES

Extra dough can be frozen for up to 2 months. Wrap completely airtight; defrost dough when ready to roll/cut.

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