Shortbread Cut-out Cookies with Vanilla Bean American Buttercream Rosettes

Buttery shortbread is cut into perfect round circles and finished with a rosette swirl of American buttercream and sprinkles. These would be perfect for a bridal or baby shower, or just for any time when you need some beautiful, simple cookies.

Shortbread Cut Out Cookies with American Buttercream Rosettes

Hi hi! Happy Saturday! While I’m not a huge one to celebrate Valentine’s day (restaurants etc go all out here in the city so we tend to just stay home where it’s not crowded), I can’t resist the opportunity to make all the pink, sprinkly, sparkly things for it, so here we are with these shortbread cut-out cookies with vanilla bean American buttercream.

I originally made these for my friend who was showing at a bridal show, and they came out so well that I figured I might as well show you how to make them too! They are super simple but so pretty - a tender, buttery shortbread round is topped with a swirl of vanilla bean American buttercream. I have mixed thoughts about American buttercream and believe that there is a time and a place for it - and this is both the time and the place. The taste is nostalgic, amped up with some vanilla bean paste, and it is stiff enough that it holds the rosettes perfectly on the cookies, and forms a sturdy crust once it sets, meaning that these keep super well and are really easy to transport. They fitted the ‘bridal’ theme perfectly, but they would also be so fun for a birthday party or a baby shower or other celebration - you can mix up the colours of the buttercream and the sprinkles however you like!

How to make super sharp edges and stable shortbread cut out cookies

The cookie itself is an adaptation of my Grandma’s shortbread recipe - hers were a simple slice and bake, but with a few tweaks they work super well as a cut out cookie too. I like to make the dough ahead of time and leave it to rest, then roll out between two pieces of parchment to keep it nice and smooth, then give it a quick spin in the freezer before cutting out. Freezing the dough seems like an annoying step but it works so well in helping to give a really straight, clean cut on your cookies as the dough is soft at room temperature.

I kept the cookies a little thicker because I wanted something that was sturdy enough to hold up to the buttercream. Remember they are shortbread so they won’t rise too much or spread because there is no leavening agent in there, and starting with frozen cookies means that they hold their shape really well. It is also super easy to pump out a whole bunch of these - once you get in your rhythm you are suddenly done and have a whole kitchen full of delicious cookies!

A few wee tips for Shortbread Cut Out Cookies

• This seems like a lot of chilling and mucking around with freezer and fridge time BUT I promise you it’s for a reason. The dough is soft and buttery (which leads to a super tender, delicious cookie), but that makes it a little finicky to work with at room temp. My way around this is to start by properly chilling your dough, and then once it is rolled out, freezing it before cutting, which will give you nice clean cuts and straight edges on your cookies. They then get another quick spin in the freezer before they are baked, which helps them to keep their shape. Once you get in the swing of things, it will be fine - roll out and freeze the dough for the first tray, then cut them out and freeze them again - while they are in the freezer roll out your second lot of dough, and that chills while the first tray is baking etc. It all works out promise - I have hardly any freezer space and it’s fine! If some have to sit out while they wait for their turn in the freezer don’t worry - just pop them in the fridge until there’s space.
• The American buttercream works here because it crusts, which means that it sets nice and hard and can be held at room temp. You can try another buttercream if you like but it will likely have to be kept in the fridge which could give you soggy cookies. I haven’t tried it out, so do so at your own risk!
• My sprinkles came from Layer Cake Shop!
• Don’t over fill your piping bag if you have a small one, or it is hard to have enough control over the piping. Just half fill it and place plastic wrap against the surface of the remaining buttercream to ensure that it does not dry out.

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