These Best Spiced Shortbread Cookies are one of the easiest and simplest to make. Three ingredients plus the two flavorings are all that is needed and I'll bet they're in you pantry and fridge already. Now imagine these are sandwiched with a chocolate sour cream ganache. This shortbread uses Chinese 5 Spice powder or cinnamon.
This is the same basic shortbread we used at the bakery. I am so in love the shortbread cookies, there is a whole chapter in my Craving Cookies cookbook. If available, European Butter is perfect for these cookies.
While I include mixing methods for both the processor and mixer, I am showing you the mixer in the instructions.
Other interesting shortbread cookies include: Viennese Whirls, Easy Decorated Shortbread Cookies, Tropical Shortbread Cookies (think coconut and macadamia nuts), Peppermint Ravioli Cookies, and everybody's favorite, the savory Cheddar Pecan Shortbreads.
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What is Chinese 5 Spice Powder
Chinese 5 Spice is typically a blend of five different spices - star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. It is use in savory recipes as well as sweet. Star anise and fennel both taste to a greater or lesser degree like licorice.
The same amount of cinnamon can be substituted if desired.
What Makes a Shortbread Cookie
Traditional shortbread cookies are basically made with butter, flour, and sugar, either granulated or powdered sugar. No eggs, baking powder or baking soda are used. They are tender and have a melt in your mouth texture. Having said that, additions are anything you want from nuts to citrus zest, and extracts. The dough can be used for cookies, cookie bases, and pastry crusts.
These are one of the easiest cookies to make.....and to enjoy!
Why You'll Want to Make This Cookie
- They're really easy to make either in a food processor or mixer.
- They last forever in an airtight tin.
- The size and shape can be changed with cookie cutters for any holiday - or just make bars.
- The Basic Shortbread (butter, flour and sugar) can be sandwiched with you're favorite filling.
- They can be baked plain, with sanding or pearl sugar on top or iced as in Painted Cookies.
Recipe Ingredients
Best Spiced Shortbread Cookies
FRONT ROW: 5 Spice Powder, orange zest
MIDDLE ROW: Unsalted butter
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar
Chocolate Sour Cream Ganache
Left to Right: Semisweet chocolate (not chocolate chips), sour cream
Left to Right: Sanding Sugar and Swedish Pearl Sugar
Key Ingredients
- Chinese 5 Spice powder is used for it's unique flavor. Cinnamon may be substituted if desired.
- European butter is great to use here. I usually use Kerry Gold but in this instance I was out and subbed American butter with good results.
- Grating oranges, lemons or limes with a microplaner is recommended over using a box grater. The box grater yields less zest and is often wetter than using microplane grater. The microplanes come with different size shreds from small to large.
- While I used full fat sour cream, low fat could also be used.
- The chocolate should be semisweet chocolate not chocolate chips. My chocolate of choice is Callebaut #811 semisweet callets (the look like chocolate chips but are pure chocolate in a form that melts quickly and easily.
- The two sugars are Sanding sugar which is a sparkly larger version of granulated sugar that won't melt in the oven. The Second one is Swedish Pearl Sugar which is a larger very white sugar that stays that way under the heat of the oven. Both are used for decoration. Do not get Belgian Pearl Sugar as it is much too large for cookies.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Step 2. Beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, then beat in the 5 spice powder or cinnamon and orange zest. Step 3. Add the flour all at once. Step 4. Beat until it comes together.
Step 5. Continue mixing until it forms a solid mass. Step 6. Remove it from the mixer and shape into a disc. If it is very soft, refrigerate or freeze briefly to firm up. Step 7. Divide the dough in half. Cover one half. Roll between sheets of waxed paper to the thickness of about ¼". (See the Cut Out Cookies using the Waxed Paper Technique). If the dough has softened, place it on a cookie sheet and refrigerate or freeze briefly to firm it up for the best looking cookies. Cut the cookies out. I used a 2" daisy cutter. Step 8. To easily remove the cookies, chill or freeze until hard. Lift them off with a pancake turner or just pop them out and place them on parchment lined cookie sheets or half sheet pans about 1" apart. Sprinkle half of them with either sanding sugar or Swedish Pearl Sugar. Bake as directed. Cool completely before sandwiching.
Step 9. Line the cookies up so the bottoms are turned upward and the tops are facing bottom down. Step 10. Melt the chocolate at half power in the microwave or over simmering water in a double boiler. Cool to lukewarm and stir in the room temperature sour cream. Step 11. Pipe or spoon the ganache in the middle of the bottom cookie. Spread it flat leaving a bit of room around the edge. Place the top sugared cookie on and press lightly to make sure it adheres.
See the recipe card if using the food processor.
Recipe FAQS
It depends upon the texture you want. Granulated sugar makes a crisp shortbread while powdered sugar makes a more tender one. However, they cannot be exchanged for each other by volume - only by weight. ½ cup granulated sugar weighs 100 grams. ½ cup powdered sugar weighs 65 grams.
Many people believe that European style butter which has a higher fat content makes the best tasting cookie since the flavor of the cookie comes from the butter.
Of course. Vanilla, peppermint, and almond extracts are popular additions. Finely ground nuts, coconut, mini chocolate chips, lemon or orange zest, many things can be added.
Expert Tips
- The butter must be cold if using the food processor.
- If using the mixer the butter must be very soft.
- If using mixer the dough may need to be chilled to firm it up before rolling. Do not let it get rock hard which it will if left in the fridge too long.
- My preference is to roll between waxed paper as it is easier to see through it. The waxed paper needs to flipped over from time to time, the paper removed and then put back on without the wrinkles for the dough to continue to roll out evenly.
- These shortbreads do not need to be chilled before baking to keep their shape. However, if they are add a few more minutes to the baking time.
- The cookies benefit from being made ahead so the flavor has time to develop. They last at least a week in an airtight tin.
- If desired, the cookies can be cut out, frozen hard and then wrapped well and frozen. Bake them from the frozen state adding additional time.
A Few Holiday Worthy Cookies
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Best Spiced Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter (225 grams)
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (350 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice powder or cinnamon
- Rind of one small orange
- Sanding Sugar or Swedish Pearl Sugar as needed
Sour Cream Ganache
- 3 ounces semisweet chocolate (85 grams)
- 3 ounces sour cream (85 grams)
Instructions
Shortbread Cookies
Mixer Methods - the butter needs to be softened
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the softened butter with the sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until very light and fluffy. Add the flour, 5 spice or cinnamon and orange zest and mix until it comes together in a sold mass.
Processor Method - the butter needs to be cold for this version.
- Add the flour, 5 spice or cinnamon and orange zest to the bowl of a processor. Pulse several times to mix. Place the cold, cut up butter in a circle on top of the flour.
- Process until the butter is indistinguishable. Add the sugar and process until a ball forms. The dough may need to be re-distributed and processed again.
For Both Mixing Methods
- Divide the dough in half. Wrap the other half while working on this one. Roll between two sheets of wax paper to a thickness of about ¼" (see Cut Out Cookies Technique Using Wax paper. Cut the cookies out with a 2" cutter or your desired shape and size.
- Place the cookies, still on the waxed paper, on a baking sheet and freeze until hard. Remove the cookies with a pancake turner or simply pop them out. This ensures they have sharp, clean edges with no stretching or distortion.. Place on the prepared baking sheets about 1" apart.
- Repeat with the second half of the dough. Sprinkle half of the cookies with Swedish Pearl sugar or sanding sugar.
- Re-roll the scraps and cut more cookies out.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.. Cool completely.
Sour Cream Ganache and Sandwiching
- Microwave the chocolate at half power or over a double boiler until some of it is melted and appears shiny. Stir to smooth out the chocolate. Cool to lukewarm then stir in the room temperature sour cream.
- Line the cookies up with a top and bottom. Turn the bottom cookie, bottom side up. Turn the top cookie sugar side up. Pipe or spoon some of the ganache onto the bottom cookie. Spread it out flat leaving a slight edge with no ganache. Top with the top sugared cookie and very lightly press down to make sure it adheres to the ganache.
- These will last for a week in an airtight tin.
Notes
Nutrition
SallyBR says
Absolutely delicious, perfect texture, delicate spice!
THANK YOU! SO easy to make in the food processor, my favorite method because I don't need to worry about softening the butter....
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Sally - I agree about softening the butter. Your filling sounds perfect.
Marilyn Abuma says
Beautiful recipe would try to adapt it since I don't use all purpose flour. Will see if it works with oat flour or rice flour
Angela says
Very good and appeling
Helen S Fletcher says
Thanks Angela, I hope you get a chance to make these.
Laurel Swartz says
I love the combination of flavours!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Laurel - A bit different for sure but my husband ate almost all of them by himself (not all at once thankfully!)
SallyBR says
Helen you just KNOW I need these cookies in my life..... I am very fond of your system to make them, and intend to make them this coming week to donate on Friday
will keep you posted!
Helen S Fletcher says
You are so funny Sally. Lucky Friday people!!