Shortbread Bites
These pop-in-your-mouth mini shortbread cookies are a delight and super easy to make. Change up the color of the sprinkles to match your occasion.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp dices *if you use unsalted butter, add ¼ tsp salt to the flour
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Almond extract (highly recommended) *you can use vanilla extract if you don't have or don't like Almond.
- 2¼ cups All purpose flour, scooped and levelled
- 3 Tbsp nonpareils or sprinkles *change the color to match the occasion
Instructions
- Line a 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper. Spray the pan to help hold the parchment in place. You can also use 2 sheets one horizontally and one vertically to make it fit better.
- in the bowl of your electric stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until well combined. Add almond extract, mix in.
- With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in the flour (and salt if using unsalted butter), and mix until combined (it does take a while and will appear dry and sandy at first but it will start to come together, if it doesn't you can add milk, 1 teaspoonat a time, mixing between additions, until it comes together. This will only take 1-2 tsp, so don't add too much too soon.
- Once the dough comes together add in 2 1/2 Tbsp sprinkles. Using your hands press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan ( if you can't get it smooth then use the bottom of a flat cup to help smooth it out).
- Chill the dough in the pan for 30 minutes, remove from refrigerator, then sprinkle more nonpareils over the top if desired and gently press into dough.
- Lift the chilled dough from the pan using the parchment as handles. Then cut the dough into 1" cubes (I like to cut long strips 1" wide, then cut into 1" individual pieces).
- In batches of about 1/3-1/2 of the mini cookies, place them on an unbuttered baking sheet (also do not line pan with parchment or silicone liners) and space cookies 1/2-inch apart
- Bake in preheated oven 8 - 12 minutes (keep remaining cookies that aren't currently baking refrigerated). Repeat process with remaining bites, adding them to a cool baking sheet.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, once cooled add to a air tight container and freeze or eat within 3 days (stored at room temperature).