If you follow along with me on Instagram, then you know I have been obsessed with making shortbread cookies lately. Here is why I love them so much, and why I want to share the recipe with you! Besides being super easy to make and delicious, the mix-in options are endless. From mini dark chocolate chips to chopped nuts, you really cannot go wrong. They also taste great plain as well. For someone that loves baking, I really don't have much of a sweet tooth, so the sweetness level is perfect. They are buttery and crumbly at the same time and taste amazing with your morning coffee. For this recipe, I recommend 3/4 cup of sugar, but if you like sweetness you can adjust it by increasing the sugar to 1- 1 1/4 cups. But the best part is that this recipe doesn't include eggs. That means you can eat the dough as you go!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups powdered/ confection sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups organic freeze-dried strawberries
2 cups white chocolate chips
Optional: whole walnuts
Instructions:
In a large bowl mix together softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until airy and fluffy. Slowly add and mix in flour.
Fold in chocolate chips and strawberries. The strawberries will crumble and break apart a bit while you mix.
Transfer dough to a gallon-size zippered plastic bag ( I know I don’t typically use plastic bags, and I don’t like to, but I will try to find a way to repurpose it) and using your palms press it into a flat rectangle about 1/4 in thick.
Put the bag in refrigerator and chill for at least 1-2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Remove dough from bag and cut into equal size rectangular bars. If you like walnuts, you can add one to the top of each square before baking. Place bars on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 mins until slightly golden brown.
Let cool on the tray for 2 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks and let cool the rest of the way.
Enjoy!
If you make my recipe, please share it with me by following my Instagram @_sincerelylovely and posting a pic or story and tagging me. I would love to see what you come up with, or what twist you put on the recipe!