Ina Garten’s Easy Tips for Making Perfect Shortbread Cookies
Holiday baking is a special time, and shortbread cookies are a simple yet delicious treat. According to Ina Garten, shortbread cookies are easy to make with just butter, sugar, and flour. They have a rich, buttery taste and a dense texture because they don’t have any leavening agents like baking soda. Plus, shortbread is versatile—you can customize it with various toppings and flavors.
Ina Garten shared her top tips on the TODAY Show for making her perfect shortbread cookies. Here’s what she recommends:
- Cut first, chill later: Instead of chilling dough before cutting out cookie shapes, Ina suggests cutting out the cookies first, then chilling the shapes. This helps get clean, sharp edges and makes baking easier, as you can bake only the cookies you want.
- Keep the shapes simple: Ina prefers basic shapes like stars, rings (which can become wreaths), and hearts. The focus is on elegant, simple designs.
- Don’t overdo the decorations: For her decorated shortbread, Ina keeps it minimal. She uses a light powdered sugar glaze for stars, adding red sprinkles for a pop of color. She decorates the rings with silver beads and dips the hearts halfway in chocolate. This minimalist approach makes the cookies look stylish without being overly fancy.
- Make Linzer cookies: Ina’s favorite cookie is the linzer, which is made by sandwiching jam (like raspberry) between two shortbread cookie rings. For a twist, you can also use Nutella or lemon curd. Sprinkling powdered sugar on top adds a festive touch.
- Use the dough scraps: Don’t waste leftover dough! Ina presses it together into a small square, bakes it, and tops it with a pecan held in place with a little chocolate.
Ina’s easy tips make holiday baking fun and stress-free. You can find more of her clever cookie ideas in Parade’s coverage of her techniques.
https://parade.com/food/ina-garten-shortbread-cookie-tips?utm_source=pushly