Description
Ina Garten’s cinnamon-spiced shortbread beckons with warm, buttery comfort straight from her Barefoot Contessa kitchen. Delicate crumbles melt on your palate, delivering rich cinnamon notes that whisper of homemade charm and effortless elegance.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 0.75 pound (340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
Spices and Seasonings:
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon ground cloves
- Kosher salt
Flavoring:
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 0.5 cup sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by heating the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lining two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Create the base mixture by combining softened butter, granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and warm water in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until ingredients are just incorporated, avoiding excessive aeration.
- Separately, sift together all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon (), and kosher salt () to ensure smooth incorporation and eliminate potential lumps.
- Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until the dough forms large, cohesive clumps.
- Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a compact disk. Wrap completely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up and enhance flavor development.
- After chilling, roll the dough to a consistent ½-inch thickness on a floured work surface. Use a 3½-inch star-shaped cookie cutter (or preferred shape) to cut out precise cookie shapes.
- Arrange cut cookies approximately 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets to allow even heat circulation and prevent merging during baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 22 minutes, watching for subtle golden-brown edges as an indicator of doneness.
- While cookies bake, prepare the coating mixture by combining additional granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, and ground cloves in a medium bowl.
- Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, generously dust them with the spiced sugar coating while still hot to ensure maximum adherence.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets, then gently shake off any excess sugar coating before serving or storing.
Notes
- Warm cookies absorb sugar coating best when removed straight from the oven, creating a delightful caramelized surface that locks in rich, sweet flavors.
- Rolling dough consistently helps ensure each shortbread cookie bakes evenly, preventing burnt edges or raw centers during the baking process.
- Preparing butter at room temperature allows smoother blending with dry ingredients, guaranteeing a silky-smooth texture that melts perfectly in your mouth.
- Mixing ingredients gently prevents developing tough gluten strands, which can transform delicate shortbread into dense, chewy disappointments.
- Refrigerating dough before shaping helps solidify butter, enabling cleaner cuts and maintaining precise shapes during baking.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (out of 24 cookies)
- Calories: 252
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 40mg