An easy and quick shortcrust pastry, ready immediately and perfect for simple, filled, and even two-tone cookies. The smart recipe to save for any occasion.
Today we are making very easy and beautiful cookies, made with just one shortcrust pastry that doesn’t require any resting in the fridge.
It’s the recipe I prepare when I want perfect cookies in a short time because it mixes up in minutes and is immediately ready to roll out.
This shortcrust pastry is ideal for creating simple cookies, filled cookies, and even two-tone cookies, perfect for gifting or serving on any occasion: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Christmas, or just for everyday breakfast.
It can be easily worked both by hand and with a stand mixer and doesn’t need any resting in the fridge.
Just divide the dough, color part of it, and let your imagination run wild with the shapes we prefer.
I made delicious filled cookies with hazelnut cream, but you can use jam, pistachio cream, custard, or whatever you have at home. A simple, quick, and scenic recipe that I suggest you save immediately.
- Portions: 25 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Valentine's Day, All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 lemon zest (or vanilla flavor)
- food coloring (concentrated gel)
Tools
- 2 Cookie Cutters
Steps
In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Add the whole egg, softened butter in pieces, lemon zest or vanilla, and baking powder.
Quickly knead by hand until you get a smooth and homogeneous shortcrust pastry.
Alternatively, you can use the stand mixer with the paddle attachment.1. Divide the shortcrust pastry and color part of it with the gel food coloring. Knead until you achieve a uniform color and a smooth and compact dough.
2. Work the colored dough until it is homogeneous and compact. At this point, the shortcrust pastry is ready to be rolled out and used immediately.
3. Roll out the shortcrust pastry and make the cookies with the cutters you prefer. Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper ready for baking.
4. Once baked and cooled, fill the cookies with hazelnut cream or jam and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
📝 Final Notes and Tips
This no-rest shortcrust is one of those smart recipes to save, as it is prepared in a few minutes and is perfect for making simple, filled, and even two-tone cookies for every occasion throughout the year.
To get brightly colored and well-defined cookies, it is important not to exceed the cooking times: about 10 minutes at 350°F is enough. Cooking too long would darken the dough, especially the colored one, making it lose its brightness. With the right timing, they will remain clear, fragrant, and bright in color.
You can use the cutters you prefer or simply a glass or a wheel to create different shapes. You can also get creative with the filling: hazelnut cream, jam, pistachio cream, or custard.
Just remember to always place the filling in the center without reaching the edges: as it cooks, it will tend to spread, and the cookie will remain perfect.
A simple and scenic recipe that I recommend you save: with just one no-rest shortcrust pastry, you can prepare beautiful and delicious cookies all year round, in countless shapes and for any occasion.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I make the no-rest shortcrust pastry in advance?
Yes, this no-rest shortcrust pastry can be used immediately, but if you want, you can also prepare it in advance and store it in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap for a few hours. Before using it, let it soften for a few minutes at room temperature to easily roll it out
How do I prevent colored cookies from becoming dark during baking?
To maintain a bright color, it’s important not to prolong baking too much. No-rest shortcrust cookies bake in about 10 minutes at 350°F. If they stay too long in the oven, they tend to brown, and the color, especially the red, will appear darker.
