Spiced Shortbread Cookies

a stack of spiced shortbread cookies next to a cinnamon stick

Print Recipe

5 from 9 votes

Simple buttery shortbread cookies flavored with 4 common winter spices for a warm fall flavored treat.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Optional Chill time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baked goods, cookies, dessert, shortbread

Servings:

Calories: 111kcal

Author: Mikayla M.

Ingredients

6 ounces all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup, 1 stick
2 ounces white sugar 1/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt*
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions

Cream together the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Combine the flour, spices and salt. Whisk to mix.
Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and fold gently to combine until dough begins to form and no dry flour is visible. Some loose dough crumbs are fine.
Turn dough out onto a clean surface covered with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Press dough into a rough log.**
Tightly wrap the dough in the plastic or paper and twist off the ends. Roll gently against a firm surface, pressing gently against the ends to keep the log width uniform.
When dough is smooth and round, transfer to the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the cookies 1/4 inch thick with a sharp knife and place on parchment paper, leaving a small amount of space between them.
Bake for 10 minutes or until top is no longer glossy and the very bottom edge is just barely golden.
Let sit on baking sheet 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before storing.

Notes

*I use less than 1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt, it's literally a pinch.

**If you'd prefer to roll the dough out and cut the cookies with a cutter or knife, or to form them free hand, you can skip the chill time and bake as soon as they're shaped.

Please note that the cookie yield for this recipe will depend on the size of your log. I generally form the logs to be 2 inches in diameter and I average 12 to 13 cookies.

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