Shortcrust sunflowers are easy and beautiful cookies that win over everyone. With just a few ingredients, you can bring sweet treats to the table that look like freshly bloomed flowers.
To make them, you only need two cookie cutters with scalloped edges. The cocoa heart creates a nice contrast with the golden petals, making the cookies even more delicious.
My shortcrust pastry is quick and doesn’t require resting time. You can knead it by hand or with a stand mixer, so in a few minutes, you’ll have the dough ready.
With a toothpick, you can carve the petals and dot the center of the flower for a realistic and delicate effect. The baking is quick, and the result is truly amazing.
These cookies are sweet, romantic, and loved by everyone. Perfect for a special snack, as a gift idea, or to brighten up a festive day.
If you love making cookies at home, you’ll find many more ideas on the blog.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 25 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven, Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 175.56 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 22.37 (g) of which sugars 8.00 (g)
- Proteins 2.79 (g)
- Fat 8.98 (g) of which saturated 5.66 (g)of which unsaturated 3.20 (g)
- Fibers 0.66 (g)
- Sodium 4.83 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 41 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 cups all-purpose flour
- 7/8 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- vanilla flavoring (or rum flavoring)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Tools
- 2 Cookie Cutters
Preparation
Let’s start by making the shortcrust pastry. My recipe is very quick: once ready, you’ll be able to divide and use it immediately, without resting time.
If you’re using a stand mixer, place all the ingredients in the bowl and mix with the paddle attachment at low speed. In a few minutes, a smooth and compact dough will form.
Alternatively, you can knead by hand. Pour the flour in a mound on the work surface, add the other ingredients in the center, and gradually combine until you get a homogeneous dough.
At this point, divide the dough into two parts. One slightly smaller, a little less than half. Add a tablespoon of cocoa to this part and knead quickly to color it evenly.
Now let’s roll out the light part of the shortcrust pastry. Place it on a lightly floured surface or directly on a sheet of parchment paper, so it doesn’t stick.
Use the rolling pin to roll it out to an even thickness, not too thin or too thick. At this point, use the larger cookie cutter, the one with scalloped edges, to cut out the disks that will form the petals of our sunflowers.
After cutting out the light shortcrust flowers with the large cutter, take the smaller one and gently cut the center of each flower.
In this way, we remove the central part of the white pastry and create the perfect space to insert the cocoa disk.
Now let’s take the cocoa shortcrust pastry and roll it out like we did with the other. With the smaller cookie cutter, cut out the same round flowers.
Now insert the cocoa shortcrust disks into the center of the white flowers. You’ll immediately see the contrast between the light petals and the dark heart.
With a toothpick, decorate the flowers. Gently poke the center to recreate the typical sunflower effect. Then slightly carve the petals so they take on a slightly concave and more realistic shape.
Now it’s time to bake our sunflowers. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven.
Make sure they don’t get too dark: they should just be lightly golden, keeping the center soft and the contrast between petals and center well distinct.
NOTES
To achieve uniform petals, always roll out the shortcrust pastry to a consistent thickness.
The sunflowers store well in a metal tin.
For an even more spectacular effect, lightly brush the petals with some beaten egg before baking.
If you liked the recipe or have questions, feel free to comment here or on social Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and X.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I make the shortcrust sunflowers without a stand mixer?
Of course! Shortcrust pastry is easily kneaded by hand. Just make a mound of flour and add the ingredients little by little until you get a homogeneous dough. The flowers will remain perfect even without a stand mixer.
How to store shortcrust sunflowers?
The cookies store well in a metal tin or an airtight container for days. They maintain their crunchiness and petal color, ready for snacks or small special occasions.
