Happy December and I hope you are all getting into the holiday spirit. I absolutely love doing all of the little things to make Christmas special, especially now that I’m a mom and that includes baking the most delicious holiday cookies. It brings me so much joy! I’ve been making this recipe for a few years by my friend Lindsey from The Lady In the Wild West, and you guys, they are absolutely delicious and so easy to make – they even bake at altitude!
Lindsey invited me down to her adorable farmhouse in Freedom, WY yesterday for a day of holiday baking. I’ve made her sugar cookies before in the past but my decorating skills were below sub-par (evidence is in the link, ha!). I’d frantically text her that I sucked at decorating and asked her if she’d teach me a few tricks of the trade. We finally decided to get together this year and after a few hours with Lindsey, I’m basically a Martha Stewart. She made it SO easy and my cookies were insanely gorgeous. Like who even am I? I wanted to share this easy recipe (which she totally created on a whim for me) so you all can experience the joy they brought me with your loved ones this holiday season. So let’s get baking!
*if you have a nut allergy, skip the pistachios, it’s still delicious AF
Vanilla & Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
Makes 18-24 cookies
By Lady in The Wild West
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or vanilla bean powder
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup finely ground roasted pistachios, salted or unsalted
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Extra flour for rolling
- Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar on medium speed until combined, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Mix to combine.
- In a large bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, salt, and ground pistachios together (can leave these out if nut allergy).
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture, mixing until just combined. The dough will be crumbly. On low speed, add the heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.
- Roll the dough out on a well floured surface, 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Using a spatula, transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheets, placing 2 inches apart. Chill the cookie sheets for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. This helps them hold their shape while baking.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the cookie sheets from the fridge and bake for 10-12 minutes, until firm and crisp around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 1 week.
* Pistachios can be finely ground in a food processor or coffee grinder. Some small pieces are ok.
These cookies taste amazing on their own, but here’s a festive and delicious way to decorate them, I HIGHLY recommend:
Make holiday wreaths and trees with Vanilla Buttercream
Tools:
- gel food coloring in varying greens, such as Moss, Forest, Cypress, and Olive, (I recommend Americolor food gels)
- star piping tips (I recommend Wilton tips 32 and 21)
- scalloped edge round cookie cutter set
- tree cookie cutters
- piping bags
- gold sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of kosher salt
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high speed, cream the butter and until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioner’s sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to taste. Mix until combined. On medium speed, mix for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before decorating
- Divide the buttercream into bowls and add a few drops of green color to each. Mix and add more color if needed until you’ve reached your desired shade. Don’t over do it as the color will deepen as it sits.
- Load a piping bag, fitted with a star tip, with buttercream. Hold the piping bag at a 90 degree angle to the cookie. Press a circle of buttercream onto the cookie, then pull up and quickly release to make a star pattern. Repeat with alternating buttercream colors to fill the cookie.
- Sprinkle with gold sprinkles or whatever your heart desires.
If you want more of Lindsey, check out her cookbook Wild Sugar for more baking goodness. It makes an amazing Christmas gift and everything can be baked at altitude. You can also follow her on instagram @LadyInTheWildWest.
