Sprinkle Shortbread for Cookie Stamps

This recipe is so easy. It’s buttery, delicious, 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.

This recipe came from testing a lot of shortbread recipes. I loved all of them for different reasons (I’m a huge shortbread fan). The powdered sugar versions were super tender and smooth, but the dough was a little too soft for stamping. The granulated sugar versions had a crisp edge with a slight chew (so good), but they spread too much.

So, I made a hybrid. Best of both worlds.

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

·      Granulated 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

·      Scale

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. That’s why I listed the flour in grams only for this recipe, so we’re all using the same amount.

2. Mix the Butter and Sugar

Make sure your butter is softened. Mix on medium speed until smooth and fluffy.

Don’t get wild here! Mixing on high can result in cookies that spread more.

3. Add flavorings

Flavoring is important. We’re going without icing here… so add some flavor!

Add vanilla extract, plus a little almond extract. I personally love almond, but it can be strong (and not everyone is a fan… my husband included). Adding only 1/4 tsp though is hardly noticeable to almond haters.

4.  Mix in the dry ingredients

Slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time. Scrape the bowl as needed.

If your dough isn’t coming together, add drops of water until it all starts sticking together.

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 5/16” thick. (a little thicker than 1/4”). 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 still firm but still has a chill to it.

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

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 but 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.

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° for around 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness and size of your cookies. I bake my Pokémon stamped cookies for around 11 minutes and the dough was rolled to 5/16” thick and the cutters are around 3-4″ tall. If you like the bottoms of the cookie to be more golden, you can bake a bit longer.

Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

10. Enjoy!

That’s it! Buttery 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!:)