Festive Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies with Easy Icing: Your Essential Holiday Baking Recipe

Embrace the warmth and joy of the holiday season with these exquisite Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies. Infused with aromatic cinnamon and comforting allspice directly into the dough, these buttery delights are then crowned with a simple, elegant icing for the perfect festive touch. Every bite delivers a melt-in-your-mouth texture paired with a symphony of holiday flavors, making them an indispensable addition to your holiday baking repertoire. Whether you’re planning a cozy family evening, a bustling cookie exchange, or a stunning dessert table, these cookies promise to impress with their delicate crunch and rich, spiced aroma.

Here at our kitchen, we have an undeniable passion for cookies, and this particular shortbread recipe stands out as a true gem. Its beauty lies in its simplicity – requiring only a handful of staple ingredients, it comes together with surprising ease. The result is an unbelievably soft, tender, and richly flavorful spiced Christmas cookie that captures the very essence of holiday cheer. The smooth, sweet glaze on top not only adds an appealing finish, perfect for decorating with festive sprinkles or edible glitter, but also allows you to customize the sweetness of each cookie to your liking. This recipe is a fantastic way to bring warmth and deliciousness into your home during the festive season.

What Makes Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies So Special?

These aren’t just any ordinary cookies; they are a unique and wonderfully festive treat that will elevate any holiday gathering. Imagine sharing these at your next holiday party, dazzling guests at a cookie exchange, or simply enjoying them with a warm cup of tea on a quiet winter evening. There’s truly no wrong occasion to savor these delightful spiced shortbread cookies. Their appeal extends beyond their incredible taste; they are also remarkably simple and straightforward to prepare. This makes them an ideal baking project for those new to the kitchen, eager to hone basic baking skills, or for creating cherished memories with children, turning baking into a fun and engaging family activity. The incorporation of traditional Christmas spices like cinnamon and allspice transforms the classic buttery shortbread into a truly seasonal sensation, filling your home with an irresistible fragrance that is synonymous with the holidays.

Shortbread, by its very nature, is a cookie that celebrates the purity of its ingredients. Made primarily from butter, sugar, and flour, it boasts a tender, crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Adding warm spices like cinnamon and allspice takes this classic to a new level, introducing depth and a comforting aroma that perfectly complements the rich butteriness. These cookies are sturdy enough to hold their shape, making them ideal for cutting into various festive designs, yet delicate enough to provide a delightful eating experience. They represent the perfect balance of simplicity and festive elegance, a true testament to timeless holiday baking traditions.

Essential Ingredients for Your Spiced Christmas Shortbread

Crafting the perfect Spiced Christmas Shortbread begins with selecting high-quality ingredients, each playing a crucial role in achieving the desired flavor and texture. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need:

For the Buttery Shortbread Dough:

• Powdered Sugar (3/4 cup): This is key for a truly tender shortbread. Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar (also known as confectioners’ sugar) dissolves more easily into the butter, contributing to a smoother dough and a finer crumb texture in the final cookie. It also often contains a small amount of cornstarch, which helps stabilize the dough and prevent excessive spreading.
• Unsalted Butter (3/4 cup, softened): Butter is the star of shortbread, providing its signature richness and melt-in-your-mouth quality. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall saltiness of the cookies. Ensure your butter is properly softened to room temperature – not melted – for optimal creaming with the sugar, which incorporates air and creates a lighter texture. High-quality butter will yield the best flavor.
• Vanilla Extract (1 teaspoon): A teaspoon of vanilla extract deepens the flavor profile, adding a sweet, aromatic base that beautifully complements the spices. While a good quality pure vanilla extract offers the best taste, you can use your preferred brand. It’s a small addition that makes a significant difference.
• All-Purpose Flour (1 2/3 cups): This provides the structure for your cookies. The exact amount can vary slightly depending on humidity, so aim for a dough that is soft but not sticky. You’ll also need a little extra flour for dusting your countertop and rolling pin when shaping the dough.
• Salt (1/2 teaspoon): A small but mighty ingredient, salt is essential for balancing the sweetness and enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie. It prevents the cookies from tasting bland and brings out the subtle nuances of the butter and spices.
• Spices (1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice): These are the heart of our “spiced” shortbread! Cinnamon offers a warm, sweet, and woody aroma, while allspice provides a complex flavor reminiscent of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon, all in one. Together, they create a wonderfully festive and inviting taste that embodies the spirit of Christmas.

For the Simple & Sweet Icing:

• Powdered Sugar (2 cups): Forms the base of our quick and easy icing. Its fine texture ensures a smooth, lump-free glaze that sets beautifully.
• Water (2 tablespoons): Used to thin the powdered sugar to the perfect consistency for drizzling or spreading. Add it gradually until you achieve a pourable but not watery consistency.
• Light Corn Syrup (2 tablespoons): This is the secret ingredient for a glossy, professional-looking icing. Corn syrup helps to thicken the frosting, makes it shiny, and prevents it from becoming too brittle once dry, resulting in a smooth, easy-to-eat finish.

Having all your ingredients measured and ready before you begin will make the baking process even more enjoyable and seamless.

How to Master Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies: A Step-by-Step Guide

Making these delightful shortbread cookies is simpler than you might think. Follow these clear steps to achieve perfect, festive results every time:

Crafting the Cookie Dough:

1. Cream Together Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream these ingredients together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color. This step is crucial for incorporating air, which contributes to the shortbread’s tender texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Whisking ensures that the spices and salt are evenly distributed throughout the flour, preventing pockets of concentrated flavor.
3. Form the Dough: Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, about a third at a time, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Overworking the dough can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to tough cookies. Mix until the ingredients come together to form a soft, cohesive dough. It may appear crumbly at first, but it will come together.
4. Chill the Dough: Gather the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. This chilling period is absolutely essential. It allows the butter to firm up, preventing the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, and also gives the flavors a chance to meld beautifully. You can chill the dough for up to 2-3 days if you’re preparing ahead.

Baking and Cooling:

5. Prepare for Baking: Once the dough is adequately chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. The parchment paper prevents sticking, and a light spray offers extra insurance and helps with even browning.
6. Roll and Cut Cookies: Lightly flour your countertop and rolling pin. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to a uniform thickness of approximately 1/2 inch. Using your favorite Christmas-themed cookie cutters (stars, trees, bells, etc.), cut out your desired shapes. Carefully transfer the cut cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch between each cookie. Re-roll any dough scraps until all dough is used.
7. Bake to Perfection: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Baking time can vary depending on your oven and cookie thickness. Look for cookies whose bottoms are lightly golden brown, while the tops remain pale. Do not overbake, as this can make the shortbread dry and tough.
8. Cool Completely: Once baked, remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely to room temperature before frosting and decorating. This ensures the icing will set properly without melting or running.

How to Prepare the Simple Icing:

9. Mix Icing Ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, water, and light corn syrup. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. The corn syrup is crucial here for giving the icing a lovely sheen and preventing it from becoming brittle.
10. Optional Coloring: If you wish to add festive colors, now is the time to add a few drops of gel food coloring. Whisk again until the color is evenly distributed.
11. Frost and Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, frost and decorate them as desired. You can spread the icing with a small spatula, drizzle it, or even pipe intricate designs using a piping bag with a fine tip.
12. Allow Icing to Dry: Let the frosted cookies sit undisturbed on the wire rack until the icing is completely dry and set. This can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours, depending on humidity and icing thickness. Once dry, they are ready to be stored or enjoyed!

Enjoy these beautiful and delicious Spiced Christmas Shortbread Cookies – they are a true labor of love that will bring smiles and festive cheer!