Enjoy these cookies by Italian Kitchen‘s Party Chef Michelle Born. These cookies are simple to make but have great impact on any festive table setting.

 

Brown Sugar Shortbread

Ingredients

2 cups butter (room temperature)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 cups all purpose flour

Method

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and soften with a paddle attachment. Add brown sugar and cream together until the mixture is fluffy. Add flour 1 cup at a time on a slow speed scraping the bowl between each addition. Mix just until dough comes together, do not over mix! Turnout onto lightly floured surface and kneed the dough to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and let rest in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.

For classic shortbread fingers:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough ½ inch thick, cut into 1”x 3” strips and dock the top with a fork. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and let rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Bake at 320*F for 15-20 minutes.

For decorated holiday shapes:

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut out your shapes with your cookie cutters. Place on parchment lined cookie sheets and let rest in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Bake at 320*F for 10-15 minutes. Let cool completely and decorate with royal icing as desired.

Royal Icing

Ingredients

2 egg whites (room temperature)
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 TBSP water
3 ¾ cups sifted icing sugar

Method

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and beat slowly until they are blended. Then beat at medium speed until the icing forms stiff peaks, about 3-5 minutes. Add more icing sugar if the icing is not stiff enough or a few drops of water if too stiff. Use immediately or cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying out when not in use. Allow at least 24 hours for royal icing decorations to dry at room temperature.