Nothing says Christmas more than the scent of Vanilla Shortbread Christmas Cookies fresh from the oven. 🎄✨ Stars, little trees, and a touch of chocolate to sweeten everything. Handmade with love (and lots of patience!)
You can bake them comfortably in the oven or quickly in an air fryer.
There’s nothing more wonderful than filling your home with the aroma of butter, vanilla, and lemon zest. Today I made these simple but delightful cookies: a light shortbread base, a dusting of powdered sugar like fresh snow, and a burst of colors and chocolate on top.
Making these cookies took me back to my childhood, in the warm and welcoming kitchen of my neighbor Ottavia who lived upstairs.
I still remember the joy of making them together, the smell of lemon and vanilla filling the room, and the impatience to taste them as soon as they were out of the oven.
It was a ritual of sharing: once ready, they were divided with love… some for her daughter Lucia, some for my loved ones.
These Vanilla Shortbread Christmas Cookies encapsulate that taste of home, friendship, and generosity that makes Christmas truly special.
Every bite is a tribute to those happy afternoons and a sweetness that transcends time.”
Perfect to dip in tea or give to someone you love.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 30 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Air Frying, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
Vanilla Shortbread Christmas Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup sugar (plain or erythritol)
- 1/2 cup butter (cold in pieces)
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- to taste vanilla extract
- to taste powdered sugar
- 3.5 oz 75% dark chocolate
- to taste colored sprinkles
- to taste sugar strands
Tools
- Air Fryers
- Bowl
- Food Wraps
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Kitchen Scales
- Cookie Cutters
Steps
Vanilla Shortbread Christmas Cookies
In a bowl, mix the flour with the sugar and baking powder. Add the butter in pieces, lemon zest, and vanilla. Work the ingredients with your hands until you obtain a sandy mixture.
Work with your fingers until you achieve a sandy texture.
Add the whole egg, the yolk, and the grated zest of an organic lemon. Knead everything until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Add the whole egg and the yolk. Knead quickly until you get a smooth and fragrant dough.
Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 2 hours.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured work surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
Use Christmas cutters to shape your cookies.
Place the shaped cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated static oven at 356°F for about 10-12 minutes.
Fan oven 320°F for 10-12 minutes. Start checking the cookies after the first 8-9 minutes: they should be golden on the edges but still light on the surface.
Air Fryer Settings
Temperature: 320°F (instead of 356°F). The air fryer is more aggressive than a static oven, so a lower temperature prevents them from browning too much on the outside while staying raw inside.
Time: 8-10 minutes. Check them after the first 7 minutes: when the edges just start to brown, they are ready.
Tip: Arrange the cookies in a single layer on the basket. If you put too many, the air won’t circulate, and they won’t cook properly. You’ll probably need to bake them in 2 or 3 “batches”.
Parchment paper: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the basket exactly. Don’t leave it too wide; otherwise, the edges of the paper will rise with the air covering the cookies.
The trick of the cold basket: Between one batch and the next, the basket will be very hot. Wait a minute before putting the new cookies or reduce the cooking time of the second batch by 1-2 minutes.
Once cooked and taken out of the oven, let them cool completely.
Final Decoration
Melt some dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
Use a piping bag with a very fine tip (or simply a toothpick) to create quick and irregular streaks on each cookie.
Before the chocolate dries, sprinkle the colored sprinkles (the “sugar strands”) over them.
The chocolate will act as “glue,” fixing them perfectly and creating the lively contrast you see in the photo.
Once cold, generously dust the cookies with powdered sugar until they look covered with a thin layer of fresh snow.
Merry Christmas from your Angela.
Tips and Curiosities
The cold is your ally: Before baking, put the tray with the already cut cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Placing well-chilled shortbread into the hot oven helps maintain the shape of the flowers or stars.
In the fan oven, cookies tend to darken more quickly underneath. Check the bottom of one of the cookies towards the end of the time to make sure it is not too dark.
After baking: Take the tray out immediately and, if possible, move the cookies (with all the parchment paper) to a cold surface. The heat from the tray would continue to cook them even out of the oven.
A little practical tip: If you see that the dough is too soft while working it (perhaps because the eggs were large), feel free to add a scant tablespoon of flour, but don’t overdo it to maintain the crumbliness.
Other curiosities
If you see that the dough gets too warm while making the shapes, put it back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Well-chilled shortbread keeps the edges of stars and trees sharp and precise during baking.
Only grate the yellow part; the white part is bitter and could alter the delicate vanilla taste.
Try to roll out the dough always at the same thickness (about 1/5 inch) so they will all cook evenly, and you won’t have burnt cookies and others raw.
A tip: if you plan to gift them in baggies of 5-6 cookies each, with this dose, you’ll be able to prepare about 5 little gifts.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
I’m diabetic, how can I make them?
The Low Glycemic Index Version
For those who want to enjoy the magic of Christmas while paying attention to health or for those who need to monitor sugar levels, this recipe lends itself well to a small but crucial modification:
Sugar Replacement: Use 100 g of Erythritol instead of regular sugar.
Erythritol has a glycemic index of zero and doesn’t add calories but ensures the same crumbly texture in the shortbread.
Alternative Flour (Optional): To further lower the glycemic index, you can replace all-purpose flour with type 2 flour or whole grain spelt flour, which releases energy more slowly.
Dark Chocolate: For the final decoration, make sure to use chocolate with at least 85% cocoa, which contains very little sugar and is rich in antioxidants.
Even with erythritol, the aroma of vanilla and lemon will remain intense and enveloping. It’s the secret to offering a moment of sweetness to everyone, without exception!
If you liked this recipe click on many stars, thank you very much.
Join my group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/488624465780860
or on my page: https://www.facebook.com/gustoamoreefantasie
Return to Home page
