I called this shortcrust pastry “holiday” because it is enriched with the typical flavors of Christmas cookies, like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. The addition of a tablespoon of honey makes the flavor even more special and gives the pastry a silky texture. Easy to roll out, it is perfect for making cookies to enjoy during the holiday season or to give as gifts to friends and family. Each time we can customize the cookies with different ingredients, such as dark chocolate, white chocolate, or the classic royal icing, which lends itself to numerous colorations.
This shortcrust pastry rolls out easily and does not require refrigeration time. It is also ideal for making tarts, ensuring perfect rolling. The dough can be easily prepared by hand, starting with the classic flour fountain and adding ingredients to the center. If you prefer to simplify the process, you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. In this case, just put all the ingredients together and start the mixer on low speed. Initially, the ingredients will seem crumbly, but then they will compact into a homogeneous and perfect shortcrust pastry.
Let’s not waste any more time and see together the recipe to prepare the holiday shortcrust pastry. Also, I’ll leave you with other sweet recipes for those who love to bake at home!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 365.30 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.05 (g) of which sugars 17.38 (g)
- Proteins 5.57 (g)
- Fat 18.39 (g) of which saturated 11.60 (g)of which unsaturated 6.52 (g)
- Fibers 1.25 (g)
- Sodium 10.19 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 66 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 packet baking powder
- 1 orange zest (grated)
- 1 1/8 cups butter (softened)
Tools
- 1 Stand Mixer
- Cookie Cutters
Preparation
Making the holiday shortcrust pastry is really simple. As already mentioned, you can knead by hand starting from a well of flour. In the center, we place the eggs, sugar, baking powder, and with the help of a fork, start mixing. Once the sugar is well absorbed, add the spices, orange zest, and gradually the butter. Continue kneading with the palms of your hands until you get a uniform dough.
If you prefer to use a stand mixer, attach the paddle and place all the ingredients in the bowl. Start the mixer on low speed and let it run until the shortcrust pastry dough forms, ready to be used.
This shortcrust pastry can be used immediately without the need for refrigeration, but if you want to store it, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the less cold part of the refrigerator until ready to use.
The spiced shortcrust pastry is perfect for making delicious cookies. It rolls out easily on a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin. Do not roll it out too thin: it should be almost half an inch thick for crispy and tasty cookies.
Use your preferred cutters to cut out your cookies; there are many available on the market, ideal for the holidays. Try to cut the cookies to minimize dough waste, but don’t worry: the excess can always be re-kneaded and rolled out again until finished.
With this shortcrust pastry, you can also prepare delicious tarts, to be filled with your favorite creams. The dough rolls out easily, ensuring a perfect base for any type of filling.
NOTES
As mentioned, you can use the freshly prepared shortcrust pastry immediately, but if you wish to make it in advance for convenience, remember to store it in the refrigerator, well covered with plastic wrap.
To make your Christmas cookies even more delicious, after baking, you can cover them with melted chocolate, prepared simply in a bain-marie or microwave. Then decorate them with the sprinkles you like the most. Once the chocolate has solidified, your cookies will also be ready to be given as gifts, packaged in colorful gift packs.
If you liked the recipe or have questions, feel free to comment here or on social media Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
