By Harper Turner was born Saturday January twenty-first, 2023, at two-thirteen in the morning at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. Six pounds eleven ounces. Nineteen inches long. Two weeks early but healthy in every measure. The labor had started Friday afternoon at four. Dustin drove me. Mama and Cody and Aunt Tammy met us at the hospital. Brayden was home with Mrs. Henderson, who had insisted on staying with him so Cody could come.
The recipe Sunday was whipped shortbread cookies because Mrs. Henderson made them for me Saturday afternoon at the hospital, the way her own mother had made them for her in 1970-something. Beaten butter and powdered sugar with a small amount of flour and cornstarch. Piped into rosettes. Baked low. Melt-in-your-mouth.
The recipe is below.
Whipped Shortbread Cookies
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 14 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- Holiday sprinkles or maraschino cherry halves, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat your oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whip the butter. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed for 3 full minutes, until it is pale, fluffy, and noticeably lighter in color. Don’t skip this step — the whipping is what gives these cookies their signature melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Add sugar and vanilla. Add the sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed for another 2 minutes until fully combined and creamy.
- Mix in the dry ingredients. Add the flour and cornstarch. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together and no dry streaks remain. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
- Portion the dough. Scoop rounded teaspoons of dough and roll lightly into balls between your palms. Place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a fork or the bottom of a glass to gently press each ball down to about 1/4-inch thickness. Press a sprinkle of holiday sugar or a cherry half into the center of each cookie, if using.
- Bake. Bake for 12—14 minutes, until the edges are just barely set and the tops look dry but not golden. These cookies should stay very pale — pull them before they color.
- Cool completely. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. They will firm up as they cool. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 82 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 33mg