Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Print version)

Buttery shortbread with edible flowers, baked golden and beautifully decorated for a special Mothers Day treat.

# What You Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - 1 egg white, lightly beaten
07 - 1/4 cup edible dried flowers
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift flour and salt into the butter mixture. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with beaten egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until edges are pale golden. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cookies in a decorative box for presentation and gifting.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes, leaving you time to actually enjoy the decorating part instead of stressing over technique.
  • Edible flowers transform ordinary shortbread into something that looks like you hired a pastry chef, but really you just got creative.
  • They keep beautifully for a week, so you can bake them ahead and pretend you're effortlessly prepared.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is non-negotiable—cold butter won't cream properly and will result in dense, grainy shortbread that disappoints.
  • Edible flowers must actually be edible and pesticide-free; ordinary garden flowers can make someone genuinely sick, so this isn't the moment to improvise.
  • The moment you see pale golden edges, pull them out; five minutes later makes the difference between tender and tough.
03 -
  • If your butter is still too cold when you start, place the bowl over warm water for 30 seconds—this speeds softening without melting it into a puddle.
  • The dough can be made, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated for up to three days; slice and bake whenever you're ready, which transforms these from a same-day project into whenever-you-need-them convenience.
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