Sprinkle Shortbread for Cookie Stamps

This shortbread recipe is so easy! It’s buttery, crisp and holds its shape really well, which makes it perfect for cookie stamps. I’ve been obsessed with cookie stamps lately especially my Pokémon ones! Sometimes I don’t want to decorate with icing, I just want a simple cookie that tastes amazing, and this one has been perfect for me.

I hope you love it! If you try it, let me know what you think.

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Ingredient List:

(Grab the full recipe with amounts at the bottom):

·      All-purpose flour

·      Table Salt

·      Cornstarch

·      Unsalted Butter

·      Powdered Sugar

·      Vanilla Extract

·      Almond Extract

·      Jimmies (colorful soft sprinkles)

Equipment/Tools:

·      Cookie Stamps and Cutters. Mine are from the Pokémon Center but you can use any stamps

·      Electric Mixer (hand or stand)

·      Baking Pan

·      Rolling Pin with guides

·      Parchment Paper

·      Perforated Baking Mat (this one really helps the cookies hold their shape!)

·      Wire Rack

·      Kitchen Scale (optional but very recommended for precise measuring)

Instructions:

I know a lot of people have a hard time with getting their cookies to hold their shape, so let’s walk thru this one step by step.

1.  Combine the dry ingredients

Whisk together the flour, salt and cornstarch. Set aside.

When it comes to the flour, precision really matters if you want the cookies to hold their shape. The best way to get it right is by weighing it. Measuring cups can vary a lot, and even mine measure a bit differently. If you don’t have a scale yet and want to improve your baking, I definitely recommend getting one.

2. Mix the Butter and Sugar

Make sure your butter is softened. Mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. No need to get wild here, once it’s smooth, you’re good to go.

3. Add flavorings

Since we’re skipping the icing, we want the cookie to have plenty of flavor. I know that classic shortbread usually doesn’t contain vanilla, but adding it plus a touch of almond extract gives these cookies a bit more flavor, which I think is super important.

4.  Mix in the dry ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time, and scrape the sides of the bowl and all around the bottom with a spatula.

5. Add sprinkles

First (and this is important!) taste your sprinkles to make sure they taste good and are fresh. Some taste bad and it will ruin the delicious cookie. (The Betty Crocker ones are the worst- Blech!)

I also like using jimmies with bright colors. Some mixes have brown mixed into the rainbow sprinkles and they’re just not as pretty. The ones I’m using had little confetti bits in them which were pretty but kinda crunchy.

Mix in the sprinkles on low speed, and resist the urge to dump in extra because too many can cause the cookie to spread.

6. Roll out the dough

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to about 1/4″ – 5/16” thick (a little thicker than 1/4” – btw I prefer 5/16″ cookies). If the parchment slides around while you’re rolling, hold the bottom edge in place with one hand and roll with the other. It gets easier with practice!

If you have a guided rolling pin, that will come in handy right now.

Transfer the whole sheet to the fridge to chill for 1-2 hours.

7. Stamp and cut out the cookies

Let the dough sit out for a few minutes so it’s soft enough to stamp but still has a chill to it. I keep my kitchen very cold, so for me, it’s usually 5-10 minutes.

Lightly dust the dough, stamp and cutter with flour (or dip your stamp in flour and tap off the excess).

My favorite method for stamping and cutting:

Press the stamp into the dough (pressing on the top evenly) and leave it there. Then use the cutter to cut around it and leave it in the dough too.

Lift the stamp and check the design. If it’s not stamped perfectly, you can re-stamp it and get it back into the right spot since the cutter is still there. (Be sure to dust with flour if needed.) Then remove the cutter. Voila! Look at that cutie!

Transfer cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a perforated baking mat. If your cut-outs are too soft to move, read below ⬇️

Another method (and this is good if your dough has gotten too soft to pick up the cutouts):

Stamp and cut all shapes first (like above), remove excess dough from around the cookies, then move the whole parchment sheet onto your baking pan rather than picking up each individual cookie to transferring it. And this is how I did it in this video.

8. The Second Chill + Reroll

Before baking, chill again. I usually re-chill them for about 10 minutes in the freezer while the oven preheats. This will help the cookies hold their cute shape while baking. (If your pan doesn’t fit in your freezer, refrigerator will work but make sure they’re completely cold before baking.)

You can reroll the scraps and repeat, just keep the dough cold.  I know it’s lots of extra steps, but it makes a big difference, imo!

9.  Bake

Bake at 350° until lightly golden around the bottom edges. Around 10-12 minutes.

I made a few different batches of this recipe and the ones with the golden edges tasted the best. That golden color on the bottom of the cookies adds a delicious caramelized flavor that makes them even better. 😋 Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Also, if any air bubbles have surfaced, you can run the back of a fork over them to gently push them down while they’re still warm.

One other tip, try to use a nice, light colored baking sheet like this one. It makes a big difference. A darker pan will brown the edges of the cookies before the cookies have enough time to bake all the way through.

Also, if you are wanting the cookies to have more flavor, I suggest dipping the back of the cookies in melted chocolate, or sandwich them with frosting, like in the short video below. I also have a more in depth youtube video if needed.

10. Enjoy!

That’s it! Buttery, crisp and flavorful cookies that actually hold their shape.

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You can find all of my favorite cookie tools here. If you try out this recipe, please let me know how it goes!:)