My Cookie Journey

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Summer Cookies
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Summer Cookies
    • Recipes
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cookies

    Ready for Christmas Whipped Shortbread Cookies

    Published: Nov 8, 2024 · Updated: Nov 24, 2024 · by Barbara · This post may contain links on which I could make a small commission if an item is purchased · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These are such a pretty cookie for Christmas. I love the fact that you can change the taste by adding different extracts. These cookies have a vanilla taste, but almond or lemon extract would work just as well.

    Feature image of the ready for christmas whipped shortbread cookies on a wooden board.

    Since they do not take long to make, you could make a couple of batches with different flavor extracts and surprise everyone. I have seen these cherries come in the red and green color, so maybe almond extract with a green-colored cherry.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Making Whipped Shortbread Dough
    • Prep
    • Mixing the Whipped Shortbread
    • Assemble and Bake
    • FAQ's
    • Other Favorite Christmas Cookies
    • Recipe

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for making the Ready for Christmas whipped shortbread cookies.
    Jump to Recipe
    • Butter unsalted room temperature
    • All-purpose flour
    • Cornstarch
    • Powdered sugar
    • Vanilla Extract
    • Candied Cherries 

    Making Whipped Shortbread Dough

    Prep

    I found my favorite cherries this year already halved. But if all you can find are the whole ones, just slice them in half. You will need at least 26, but I would do a few more in case your cookies are a little smaller than mine and you come up with more cookies.

    You can use a small scooper that will make 1 ½-inch cookie balls. Or you can use a teaspoon to get the amount of cookie dough you need. I prefer the small scooper mainly to keep the balls close to the same size.

    The size of 1 ½-inch small cookie scooper.

    Weigh or measure the powdered sugar into a small bowl and set it aside. Next, weigh or measure the flour into a bowl. Add the cornstarch to the flour and sift them together.

    Sifting the flour and corn starch together into a bowl.

    Mixing the Whipped Shortbread

    Cubed butter in a mixer bowl ready to be creamed.

    Cube the butter into a mixer bowl and mix it until it is creamy looking. This takes a couple of minutes depending on how cold the butter is.

    Adding powdered sugar to the creamed butter in a mixer bowl.

    Now add the powdered sugar and mix on a medium-high mixer speed for 3-4 minutes.

    Creamed butter and powdered sugar mixed. Looks creamy and smooth.

    Next, add the vanilla extract and blend it into the butter-powdered sugar mixture.

    Cookie scooper sitting in the completed cookie dough in a mixer bowl.

    Finally, add all the sifted flour-corn starch mixture and mix until all the flour is incorporated.

    Assemble and Bake

    If you haven't turned on your oven, preheat to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and grab 2 cookie sheet pans. You will add the cookie balls straight onto an unlined, ungreased sheet pan.

    Time to scoop and make these cookies look pretty. Scoop out some of the cookie dough and add it to your hand. You want a nice round ball. I added 12 balls to a pan. I had 2 extra cookie balls on the second pan, since they spread only a little. So, you should have room to fit the extra 2 balls onto the pan.

    Scooped cookie dough and how much to fill the scooper.

    I grab a small bowl and add a little flour to it. Take a fork and set it in the flour. Tap the fork to shake off the excess flour. Press the fork down so it flattens the ball a little and adds the lines of the fork across the top.

    Rolled cookie dough into balls and marked with fork impressions.

    Take a half cherry and press it down on top of the cookie dough. Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 12-14 minutes.

    Added half cherries on top of the prebaked cookies sitting on a sheet pan.

    Once out of the oven, let them sit on the sheet pan for 5 minutes before you move them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely, then sprinkle the cookies with powdered sugar.

    Ready for Christmas Whipped Shortbread cookies on a wooden board and being sprinkled with powdered sugar.

    Enjoy!

    FAQ's


    Can I add fixings and flavors?

    Yes, this is the perfect way to make these cookies unique for your taste. You could add nuts or mini chocolate chips to the mix. But you can all add fixings to the top of the cookies instead of the candied cherries. Sprinkles and jimmies are a good choice. Almond extract is a flavor that will also be a hit.

    How to store the cookies?

    Honestly, I just use a Rubbermaid container that has a lid that snaps onto the container. It is air tight and works great at a good price.

    What does cornstarch do for my cookies?

    Cornstarch does not have much flavor but helps to make your cookies soft and melt in your mouth.

    Other Favorite Christmas Cookies

    • A stack full of tender cream cheese spritz cookies on a square dish.
      Tender Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies
    • White chocolate macadamia nut cookie closeup with nuts and chocolate showing though the cookie.
      White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
    • Peppermint Mocha Cookies on a white plate.
      Peppermint Mocha Cookies
    • Christmas tree sugar cookies in white serving bowl on fake snow.
      Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies

    Recipe

    Feature image of the ready for christmas whipped shortbread cookies on a wooden board.
    QR Code

    Ready for Christmas Whipped Shortbread Cookies Revised

    Barbara Hall
    Ready for Christmas Whipped Shortbread Cookies are soft, melt-in-your-mouth treats made with butter, flour, and sugar. These simple yet festive cookies are flavored with vanilla and topped with a candied cherry.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Bake Time 24 minutes mins
    Total Time 39 minutes mins
    Course Cookies, Holiday, No-Eggs
    Cuisine American
    Servings 26 cookies
    Calories 103 kcal

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email a link of this post to you, so you can come back any time!

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted room temperature
    • 1 ½ cups (187.5 g) All-purpose flour
    • ¼ cup (32 g) Cornstarch
    • ½ cup (60 g) Powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
    • Candied Cherries Cut in half as many as needed

    Instructions
     

    • To start, I cut my cherries in half and set them aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C). You also need 2 cookie sheet pans. Do not grease or line them with anything.
    • Weigh or measure your flour, then add the cornstarch into a bowl. Sift them together into a bowl and set it aside. Weigh or measure the powdered sugar into another bowl.
    • Add cubed butter to a mixer bowl and beat for a couple of minutes. Now add the powdered sugar to the butter and on a medium-high mixer speed mix for 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract and blend until incorporated. Turn off the mixer and add the entire bowl of the sifted flour-cornstarch mixture. Mix until all the flour has been incorporated. The dough should be firm enough to roll the cookie dough into a ball. You will want to have 2 ungreased and unlined cookie sheet pans ready.
    • I take a small scooper or a teaspoon and scoop out enough dough to make a 1" to 1 ½" ball. I put 12 cookie balls onto a cookie sheet. Just make them consistent whichever size you choose. I take a small bowl and add just a little flour to it and, using a fork, dip it into the flour. Tap off the excess flour and press down on each ball just enough to make fork lines and flatten the cookie ball some. The flour helps the fork from sticking. Take a half cherry and press it in the middle on top of each cookie.
    • Bake at 350°F (175°C or 180°C) for 12-14 minutes. Leave them on the cookie pan for 5 minutes after pulling the cookies from the oven. They will look pale on top but just slightly golden brown on the bottom. After transferring to a cooling rack, leave them there until they have completely cooled. Then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.

    Share this recipe

    NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

    I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 103kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 10mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 218IUCalcium: 3mgIron: 0.3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Cookies

    • Honey almond glazed cookies feature photo.
      Honey Almond Glazed Cookies
    • Red white and blue MM cookies ready for the 4th of July.
      Red White and Blue M&M Cookies
    • Apple cider cookies sitting on a flat plat on top of a wooden board.
      Apple Cider Cookies Just Like a Fall Day at the Orchard
    • Apple cinnamon sugar cookies on a wooden board for feature photo.
      Apple Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

    Comments

      5 from 10 votes (9 ratings without comment)

      Join the Discussion Cancel reply

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

      Rate Recipe




    1. Maureen says

      December 13, 2023 at 10:36 pm

      Can I use salted butter?

      Reply
      • Barbara says

        December 13, 2023 at 11:06 pm

        Hi Maureen, Of course, if that is what you have, then yes. The only reason I put unsalted in my recipes is that not all salted butter has the same amount of salt in it. This way, I can control the type and amount of salt in my cookies. Happy Holidays - Barbara

        Reply
    2. John Rhoe says

      September 05, 2023 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      These are now on my Do For Christmas list. I have guests coming and I am sure these will fly into their months!

      Reply
      • Barbara says

        September 05, 2023 at 8:16 pm

        John, I am so happy these are on your Christmas list of cookies to make. Just a hint if you have not made them, after you gently move them to a cooling rack let them sit and cool before handling them. Enjoy!

        Reply
    Barb the owner of my cookie journey head shot.

    Hi, I'm Barbara Hall, the baker and photographer behind My Cookie Journey, a blog devoted to creating and sharing unique cookie recipes. A retired IT pro, I now spend my day's baking, styling, and snapping photos of cookies that have been featured in multiple regional magazines.

    More about me →

    Sign-up

    Yes, I want free cookie recipes...

    Summer Cookies for Picnics & Cookouts!

    Front view of the start cookie that is the 4th of July Lemon Sugar Cookies.

    Summer Cookies

    Pineapple coconut with lemon glaze cookie close-up.

    What's popular...

    • Stacks of PA Dutch Sand Tarts which are round with cinnamon sugar and a pecan half on top.
      Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies
    • Second single closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.
      Traditional Sicilian (traditional Italian) Almond Cookies
    • Stack of Cardamom Orange shortbread cookies with slices of orange skin.
      Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies
    • Rosemary lemon with honey cookies on white dish.
      Rosemary with Lemon and Honey Shortbread Cookies
    • Cardamom Orange with Cinnamon Pizzelle
    • Plate full of apricot with almonds cookies, with plenty of white chocolate icing.
      Fresh Apricot with Almonds Cookies - Revised

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Hosted By WPopt AB

    • Contact
    • View All Cookies

    Copyright © 2025 My Cookie Journey

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.