Shortbread is not something I make with any sort of regularity. Nor can I recall my last craving for it outside of the short period of time that trefoils are sold by Girl Scouts. Seriously, that might be the only time of the year I eat shortbread unless it’s in the form of a crust for a bigger dessert. But one day I finally formed a spontaneous craving.

Do you ever crave melt-in-your-mouth shortbread? Because these quite literally do melt in your mouth. You can thank the cornstarch and powdered sugar for that. I even added some festive sprinkles to keep you in the spirit for tomorrow, July 4th – Independence Day!

It was tempting to make shortbread truffles out of the raw dough since it lacks eggs. Next time…

I know you are probably wondering what that delicious red dip is pictured with these cookies. Rest assured it will be shared in a guest post on Peanut Butter and Peppers, July 11th.

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Makes approximately 6 dozen 1-inch cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup sprinkles, optional

Directions:

1. Whip butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar, cornstarch, flour, and salt. Beat on low for one minute, then on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Add sprinkles, if desired, and fold in until distributed.
2. At this point, if the dough is too soft to roll, you can refrigerate for an hour or two.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookies sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, set aside.
4. Roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thick and cut into your favorite shape (I used a 1-inch shaped cookie cutter). Place on prepared cookie sheets and bake for 7-10 until just set and edges have not yet begun to brown. Cool on wire racks.

Source: Adapted from Allrecipes and Bakeify Blog.