Veena Azmanov

Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast

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Melt in the Mouth Shortbread Stamped Cookies

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Shortbread Stamped Cookies Recipe

These shortbread stamped cookies are a treat to both kids and adults. This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe to make. They are butter based with a soft crumb that melts in the mouth.  A must-have recipe when you need an afternoon tea cookie. Also, you can use them as a gift or festive treats during the holidays or any time of the year.

These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies

Growing up I use to call these Christmas cookies. Why?

Well, my mom only made them during Christmas time. The best part? She made tons of these. Mom used to sell little Christmas hampers with different goodies in them like these Shortbread Stamped Cookies, 3 minute Dark Chocolate Fudge, Coconut Macaroons, Linzer Cookies, Marzipan/Almond Fruits… ah, the lists go on. Now you know why I have a sweet tooth, don’t you?

I loved helping mom with making these treats and she loved having a little help from me and my sister. Being a single mom was really hard and yet she made it look so easy and effortless.

These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies

Back then, mom, had a few treasured Christmas designs stamp cookie cutters. And yet, nowadays we are spoiled with lots of choices. Whenever I ever see a stamp cookie cutter – I’m buying it! I have already collected quite a few. Did I tell you baking gadgets are like my toys. I love collecting them. 

StarPack Christmas Cookie Stamps Set of 6 - High Heat Resistant to 480°F, Hygienic One Piece Design, Stamps include Homemade, Eat Me and Snowman, 1 Round Cookie Cutter, 1 Wooden Press
StarPack Christmas Cookie Stamps Set of 6 - High Heat Resistant to 480°F, Hygienic One Piece Design, Stamps include Homemade, Eat Me and Snowman, 1 Round Cookie Cutter, 1 Wooden Press
List Price:$15.11
Price:$10.79
You Save:$4.32
Price Disclaimer
Nordic Ware Geo Cast Cookie Stamps
Nordic Ware Geo Cast Cookie Stamps
List Price:$38.50
Price:$20.28
You Save:$18.22
Price Disclaimer
Christmas Silicone Cookie Stamps Set, Fashionclubs 6pcs Hand Press Cookie Cutter Stamper Set Pastry Molds, DIY Baking Decoration Tools for Fondant Biscuit Play Doh Arts
Christmas Silicone Cookie Stamps Set, Fashionclubs 6pcs Hand Press Cookie Cutter Stamper Set Pastry Molds, DIY Baking Decoration Tools for Fondant Biscuit Play Doh Arts
List Price:$9.99
Price:$9.99
Price Disclaimer

Don’t have cookie stamps? but want to make stamp cookies? 

The truth is we are spoiled for choice. We want everything given to us in a gadget. (guilty!!) Back then, I remember mom never had all the designs because they were not available.

Technically you can use anything to impress a design on the dough before you cut it out with a round cookie cutter. I remember my mom would use this special table mat with beautiful hearts that she would use only for her cookies. She’d impress the whole rolled cookie sheet – chill it. When chilled used a cookie cutter and cut out just the parts you want making sure to center them correctly, Voila, now you have perfect stamped cookies! (without using cookie stamps) 

We cake artist do that all the time with fondant. We use whatever we can find to impress fondant and then cut it out. Same technique, different uses. 

About this recipe

This is the best shortbread cookie recipe you will ever get!! I use it as a base (with few variations) for some other cookies too. like my Classic Linzer Cookies as well as my Almond Linzer Cookies, Valentine Pink Heart Cookies. This recipe is derived from my butter cookie recipe and my very popular The Best Vanilla Sugar Cookie recipe. Just the perfect balance where you have a cookie that holds its shape so perfectly and yet crumbles in the mouth the instant you bite into it. I love that!

These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies

Let’s talk ingredients (Save/Pin)

  • All-purpose flour – yes, plain all-purpose flour is what you need for these cookies. NO self-raising flour, no pastry flour. These will spread out. 
  • Cornflour – This is what gives these cookies that crumble in the mouth texture. If you must omit cornstarch I’d say add some rice flour. Also, you can add all-purpose flour. And yet, the cornflour and rice flour add a nice crispiness.
  • Sugars – the white sugar adds lightness to the cookies when the creaming method while the powder sugar works best for the texture and consistency of the dough. You can add all white sugar and make sure to cream it well but I find this balance works just perfect with these cookies keep them crumbly without spreading. 
  • Unsalted butter – I always use unsalted butter in my baking. And yet if you have to use salted butter – go ahead just omit the salt in the recipe.
  • Vanilla – A good quality vanilla will make a huge difference in anything you make. Premium vanilla can be expensive which is why I make my own homemade vanilla extract, bean paste or sugar. 
These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies

Recipe – Shortbread Stamped Cookies (Save/Pin)

These make approximately 24 cookies – 3-inch diameter.

Useful Tips and Tools

  • I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good creaming I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid.
  • A good baking tray is always important. So, try using a light colored baking trayBaking tray. Another option is to line the baking tray with Parchment Paper.
  • If you aren’t going to fill or decorate these cookies a regular rolling pin will work just fine. And yet, a Cookie rolling pin has the side spacers that will also help you with rolling. So all your cookies are leveled and bake evenly.
  • Also, it is really important to cool cookies completely on all sides as soon as they come out of the oven. So take them off the baking tray to prevent them cooking further and place them on a Cooking rack so they air circulates on all sides. This prevents steam from going back into the cookie thus…… keeping them crispy not soggy.
  • Always bake cookies on the center rack of your Oven. And if you have more than one tray simply bake them one at a time. You can bake two trays at the same time, and yet this can lead to some of the cookies in the bottom tray spreading too much. Also, you can rotate the trays during the baking. This is helpful with some cookies.
  • Most cookies usually bake between 10 to 12 minutes. Since cookies bake quickly they can also get over-baked. This is due to our tendency to get distracted at the last minute. Hence, my solution is a kitchen timer that is always set to 10 minutes. I turn it on as soon as I place the cookies in the oven. This has saved me many cookies since my kids always keep me busy.

These are fun with my kids. They love pressing the stamps and seeing the designs being impressed. Reminds me of my mom and working her. Precious memories.

These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – 256 grams (2 cups)
  • Cornflour  – 30 grams ( 1/4 cup)
  • Unsalted butter  – 228 grams (1 cup or 2 sticks)
  • Sugar – 100 grams  ( 1/2 cup)
  • Confectioners sugar  – 60 grams / 1/2 cup
  • Vanilla essence  – 1 tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp
  • Eggs -1 whole egg 
  • Baking powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

  • Swift or mix the baking powder and salt with the flour.
  • Combine the flour, cornflour together.

Prepare Dough

  • Cream butter, sugar and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg followed by the vanilla.
  • Next, add in the flour – the dough will be soft.

Divide Dough and chill

  • Divide into two discs and wrap in cling/plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for at least two hours or until cold enough to roll.
  • Work with one disc at a time while the second is chilling.
These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies Recipe

Prepare for rolling

  • Roll the first disc to a little more than 1/4 inch in thickness on a lightly floured surface.
  • Use the stamps and cut cookies as directed – (see note above).
  • Place cookies on a parchment lined paper for baking.
These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies

Bake the cookies

  • I prefer to chill the cookie in the fridge while the oven is preheating.
  • Preheat the oven to 170 C / 340 F.
  • Bake the cookies on the center rack for about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Once baked cool on the cookie sheet for 10 mins then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies Recipe

Tips for making the perfect stamped cookies every single time.

  • Work with a chilled cookie dough – no matter how rushed you are, there is always a few minutes to chill a cookie dough while you do other things. 
  • Never overwork the cookie dough – if the cookie door is chilled and stiff let it rest out for a few minutes rather then kneading it too much. Overkneading a cookie dough will make tough cookies. 
  • Don’t roll the cookies too thin. Keep them thick so that when you impress the pattern the design has something to sink into. Often you get stamp cookies that are almost faded away because the design is lost on a thin cookie while baking. It’s better to gift one pretty cookie then two washed out cookies. Don’t you agree? 
  • Dust the stamps with flour and dust off any excess – this will ensure your cookie stamp releases but also allows for a nice firm impression. 
  • Use a pastry brush to dust off any excess flour on the cookies – if the cookies are soft dust them after they are chilled but before they are baked.
  • Chill the cookies before you bake them. This is a good practice in general with most cookies. Chilling the cookies gets the butter to be firm making them spread less.
  • Bake them at a temperature not too high but not too low either. The low temperature will force them to spread while the high temperature will bake them crisp making them hard the next day. For these, I find 170 C / 340 F just right. In general, it’s best to keep a close eye on the first tray and adjust the temperature accordingly. As a guide, these cookies should bake no later than 10 mins but no earlier than 8 mins either.

Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.

These shortbread stamped cookies are a treat to both kids and adults. This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe to make these shortbread cookies are butter based with a soft crumb that melts in the mouth.  A must-have recipe on hand when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats during the holidays or any time of the year. 

Easy Shortbread Stamped cookies. Best Shortbread Cookie Recipe, Easy Shortbread cookies, Cookie Recipe, Shortbread Recipe,

These shortbread stamped cookies are buttery and with a soft crumb that almost melt in the mouth. They are simple and easy to make so they are great when you need an afternoon tea cookie or if you want to gift them as festive treats. 

Shortbread Stamped Cookies Recipe

Author: Veena Azmanov
These shortbread stamped cookies are a treat to both kids and adults. This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe to make. They are butter based with a soft crumb that melts in the mouth.  A must-have recipe when you need an afternoon tea cookie. Also, you can use them as a gift or festive treats during the holidays or any time of the year.
4.73 from 29 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast, brunch, High Tea
Cuisine: British, European, UK
Keyword: cookies, Shortbread, Shortbread stamped cookies, stamped, Stamped cookies recipe
Adjust Servings Here: 24 Cookies
Calories: 140kcal
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 256 grams All-purpose flour
  • 30 grams Cornflour
  • 228 grams Unsalted butter 2 sticks
  • 100 grams Sugar
  • 60 grams Confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Egg
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
Metric - US customary

Instructions

  • Swift or mix the baking powder and salt with the flour.
  • Combine the flour, cornflour together.

Prepare Dough

  • Cream butter, sugar and confectioners sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla
  • Next, add in the flour, the dough will be soft.

Divide Dough and chill

  • Divide into two discs and wrap in cling/plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for at least two hours or until cold enough to roll.
  • Work with one disc at a time while the second is chilling.

Prepare for rolling

  • Roll the first disc to a little more than 1/4 inch in thickness on a lightly floured surface.
  • Use the stamps and cut cookies as directed - (see note above).
  • Place cookies on a parchment lined paper for baking. 

Bake the cookies

  • I prefer to chill the cookie in the fridge while the oven is preheating.
  • Preheat the oven to 170 C / 340 F.
  • Bake the cookies on the center rack for about 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Once baked cool on the cookie sheet for 10 mins then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

 
  • My cookies stamps were 3-inch round and 1/4 inch thick
  • The number of cookies you get out of one batch will vary on the thickness of the cookies you roll. I like to use a rolling pin with spacers when rolling cookies (linked above in useful tips and tools) 
  • The impress on you cookies will work well only if you ensure you use the recipe correctly.  And substitutions can change the outcome of the dough. 
About Videos - most recipes has two videos - a quick version in the post & longer detailed version on this recipe card above (YouTube embed) Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Veena Azmanov

Nutrition Information

Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 26mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4.9% | Calcium: 0.9% | Iron: 3%
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Tried any of my recipes?Mention @veenaazmanov or tag #veenaazmanov!

Love Cookies?

You may like to check out some of my other cookie recipes. 
From the simple almond crinkle cookies to the best chocolate chip cookies as well as some of the most amazing cookies such as 

A Collection of Cookie Recipes from simple to exotic for the most simplest to the fun Holiday baked gods. There Must have collection is one you will love any time of the year.

Cookie Recipes by Veena Azmanov. Custard cookies, shortbread cookies, eggless cookies, glutenfree cookies, best chocolate chip

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About Veena Azmanov

Veena Azmanov is a professional Cake Artist and Food Enthusiast. The Founder, Editor, Creator and Recipe Developer on this blog. Follow her cake and food journey on this blog as she explores new and classic recipes with a twist.

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Comments

  1. Vika

    December 18, 2018 at 2:38 am

    Super yum! Yet i couldn’t stamp them they were sooo soft even after fridge… I just put them in the oven and after 2min quickly put little star cookie cutter on them to make slight shape pressed into them…Look cute! Taste heavenly!

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      August 13, 2018 at 11:59 pm

      Hey M’Lisa. Sorry I’m not very familiar how my recipes would work at high altitude. I know usually you would reduce baking powder and increase the liquid ingredient. But since this is not tried or tested I’m not confident I can tell you how. Sorry.

      Reply

  3. Christina S

    December 5, 2017 at 12:17 am

    In the ingredients list is has vanilla essence, but in the directions it says to add the rose essence and vanilla…am I missing something? In addition, is there a difference between vanilla extract, pure vanilla and vanilla essence? Thank you in advance for your assistance.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      December 5, 2017 at 8:46 am

      Hey Christina. Sorry about that. No there is no rose essence in this. I do love rose essence in some of my cookies so must have typed it by mistake. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. You can use any vanilla extract. Pure vanilla is what is made using real vanilla pod and is usually good quality. Some essence is just caramel water with synthetic vanilla flavor added.

      Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      November 21, 2017 at 6:04 pm

      Hi Ashley, My cookie stamps are 3 inch in diameter. I got about 24 cookies. The number of cookies will depend on the thickness you roll the dough. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any more questions

      Reply

  5. Picha

    November 11, 2017 at 7:32 pm

    I am trying this recipe now. Let’s see how it will turn out.
    But I have questions when I did along the processes. What is the texture I should look for when mixing cream butter and flour together? Should I mix those two parts with the electronic handmixer or by hand? (The only the handmixer one)

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      November 11, 2017 at 8:12 pm

      You can mix with the hand mixer or electric mixer. What’s important is that you mix until it’s creamy light and fluffy. If the sugar stays grainy it will affect the texture of the final cookies. Thanks

      Reply

  8. Sabrina Gow

    October 2, 2017 at 12:51 am

    Hello Veena,
    This looks like a wonderful recipe. Hoping to make it soon. Should I use corn meal or corn flour? Thank you for sharing your recipe and the story of helping your Mom make these when you were a little girl.!

    Reply

  9. Joan M

    June 26, 2017 at 6:32 pm

    Beautiful cookies and I’m sure delicious. I know I would love them 🙂 May I ask where you purchased the cookie stamp set you used here, I love it.

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      June 26, 2017 at 7:15 pm

      Hey Joan. I do love this one.. Actually you are the second person asking me about this. I got this at my local shop here. I think I paid only 20 dollars and it has 6 designs in there. I am going there this week again I will check. I am getting two for someone else so let me know may be I can get you one as well. Not sure how much will shipping be but can check that as well.

      Reply

      • Charlene

        September 14, 2017 at 6:57 am

        Hi Veena. These shortbread cookies look amazing. I am very much interested in the cookie stamp you used that is shown with your cookies. Could you provide info on where and how to purchase. Thank you!

        Reply

        • Veena Azmanov

          September 14, 2017 at 4:31 pm

          Hey Charlene. These are so good… I have to check at the local shop again to see if they have any. I had 6 extras but those are over now.. Message on my Facebook page and I’ll let you know when I get more. Thanks

          Reply

  11. Daniela Anderson

    June 21, 2017 at 4:00 pm

    Shortbread biscuits are one of my favourite, l love having them with a cup of tea. Yum, can’t think of a better treat.I was looking up for some nice cookie stamps not long ago,but l decided to get some Christmassy ones for later on in the year. They really make these cookies look very pretty.

    Reply

  12. Molly Kumar

    June 21, 2017 at 8:52 am

    The cookies look so cute and love those detailed stamp work. We actually ate tons of them during our recent visit to Ireland and I was jut about thinking to try make them at home.

    Reply

  17. Noel Lizotte

    June 20, 2017 at 2:14 am

    So pretty! Perfectly baked and all the same shade of golden! No wonder you couldn’t wait til holiday tmie and mom’s cookies… I’m drooling looking at these pictures.
    and if you have to collect something, cookie stampers are great thing to collect~

    Reply

    • Veena Azmanov

      June 21, 2017 at 1:00 am

      Yeah the old one usually only come with a same then you have to use a cookie cutter to cut it out. I have these that comes with a cutter on the outside so it works great when my kids help out.

      Reply

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