Valentines Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Valentines-themed sprinkles, royal icing, or melted chocolate for decorating
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 325F 160C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour and salt, mixing until the dough comes together. If the dough is crumbly, knead it gently with your hands.
Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies are cool, decorate with royal icing, melted chocolate, or festive sprinkles. Let decorations set before serving.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
Kcal: 120 kcal Servings: 24 cookies
Tips:
Chill the dough for 15 minutes before rolling it out to make it easier to handle.
For a shiny finish, drizzle cookies with melted white or dark chocolate and top with sprinkles.