Festive Shortbread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. , With lightly floured hands, shape tablespoonfuls into 2-in. logs. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until edges and bottom are lightly browned. Cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over half of the cookies. Dip one end of remaining cookies into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with walnuts. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; with a pastry cutter, chop in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir the rum extract and almond extract into the water in a small bowl. Mix into the dry ingredients, a little bit at a time, until the mixture holds together in a ball when you squeeze it.
• Place the dough onto a floured work surface, and sprinkle with flour; roll out into a sheet 1/4 inch thick. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters, and place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover with a layer of plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake the cookies just until the edges are lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Allow to cool on sheets for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to finish cooling. Cool completely before decorating.
• For frosting, whisk the confectioners' sugar and milk in a bowl until smooth. If desired, divide frosting into small bowls, and tint each bowl a desired shade with food coloring. Frost fully cooled cookies, and sprinkle with edible glitter before the frosting sets.

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
• Cream butter and sugar in another large mixing bowl. Mix in eggs, then mix in vanilla. Gradually add in dry ingredients until incorporated. Remove dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out to desired thickness on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of and under the dough, and on the rolling pin as needed to help prevent dough from sticking to the surface. Cut cookies with a round cookie cutter and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake until cookies are firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
• Generously apply frosting to cooled cookies with a butter knife. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top.