Welcome to the Fifth Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies. Twelve days of cookies and treats perfect to share with friends and family or for a delicious holiday table of your own.
DAY 1: Sometimes simplicity makes for the best cookies. There is nothing fancy about this shortbread. Just good, quality ingredients that combine to make a cookie that melts in your mouth. A perfect companion to a cup of homemade hot cocoa.
For a fancier treat, dip half of each cookie in melted dark chocolate.
RECIPE:
Scottish Shortbread
2 cups butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
4 ½ cups flour
OPTIONAL: 6 oz dark chocolate (about 1 cup chocolate chips)
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Make sure that butter is very soft, but not melted. Cream butter and brown sugar with a mixer for 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing well.
Lightly sprinkle flour on a pastry board or mat. Gently press dough into a rectangle ½” thick (about 10”x 12”). Cut dough into 1” strips lengthwise and then into 2-3” wide rectangles. Prick each cookie with a fork about 4 times.
Use a thin metal spatula to transfer unbaked cookies to an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a small space between cookies. Bake at 325°F for 20-25 minutes. Do not brown. Cool on a wire rack.
OPTIONAL: Melt chocolate and pour into a narrow bowl or cup. Dip half of each cooled cookie in the melted chocolate. Place on parchment paper or wax paper to harden.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
NoEmptyChairs.me
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More cookies to tempt your taste buds:
First Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies (2009)
Second Annual Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies (2010)
No Empty Chairs 
G’day! Your short breads look delicious, true!
Wish I could enjoy one right now too!
Cheers! Joanne
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I forgot about the 12 days of cookies. Oh, that should be Christmas. How fun. Thank you.
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just mixed these up and it is so crumbly there is no way they will roll out and stay together. I made several balls with the dough and put in the fridge hoping they will stay together once chilled. Help… What did I do wrong? How do I salvage them?
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Oops my bad… I only used 1 Cup of butter! Duh, too much baking in one day! Didn’t figure this out until I added another half cup and then rolled and baked. Not sure how they will taste minus 1/2 cup butter. Sorry for the first post!
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I hope they turn out for you. Merry Christmas and happy baking!!
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These are my husband’s favorite cookies – so of course they are on the list to be made. They came together WAY easy, and the hardest part was getting them on the baking sheet in a orderly fashion. I decided to just roll out the dough ON the baking sheet (I lined it with a silpat mat so I didn’t have to worry about anything sticking). Once the dough was rolled out, I used my dough scraper, and cut the dough into roughly 1×4 inch strips and then used the scraper to gently push apart to give the cookies space. I probably should have chilled the dough, but I was trying to work fast, as I have about 3 other recipes that need to be done before tonights’ festivities. I think I baked them longer than 22 minutes – maybe 30? I accidentally turned off my timer (I was using the microwave to prep something else), so they are a little darker than yours – but still just as good. My husband loves them, but his first comment was that they tasted like Pecan Sandies, without the nuts. Ah, go figure. 😉 Anyway, thanks for the recipe, I will add this to my short list of go-to cookie recipes.
Merry Christmas!
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Hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I’m glad that the cookies worked out well for you.
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Thank you so much for posting this recipe. This is my first time commenting on a recipe, but it was just so great. Everything was perfect and I would suggest this recipe to any bakers. My parents loved them and so did my siblings. They turned out great and the instructions were easy to follow. I made half a recipe, and for my first batch the cookies a bit smaller and I baked them for 20 minutes, the second batch was larger so I baked them for 25 minutes.
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
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Hi, I made these today, I was wondering how many days these will be good for, can I freeze them?
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You can certainly freeze them, and they will be good for at least a month. Stored at room temperature they will last about a week, depending on the humidity level where you live. You can also put a small piece of bread in the container with the cookies to help keep cookies fresh.
Merry Christmas!
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hi, im just wondering if the butter is salted or unsalted..? going to try it tonight..
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I usually use unsalted butter when I bake, but either variety will work fine. I have also used salted butter in this recipe and enjoyed them just as much. Happy baking!
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OK I made these the other night. I don’t have a convenient place to roll out so I rolled into balls and then flattened out on a piece of parchment paper. It truly is the best recipe for short bread cookies!
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I’m so glad you enjoyed them. Merry Christmas!
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The local “big box store”wasn’t carrying the huge tin container of Walkers shortbread, so I thought what the hell, I’ll make my own. These totally hit the mark…great flavor, and the texture is perfect. I think I may well be over my Walkers addiction!
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Always happy to help someone trade one addiction for another! Happy baking.
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