Christmas Shortbread Sandwich Cookies are a fun and easy Christmas cookie recipe. Buttery shortbread with red and green vanilla buttercream filling looks so festive. They simply scream Christmas. These are Santa-approved cookies for sure!
Yummy shortbread coated in white sugar, with bright red and green filling, is perfect for your Christmas table, cookie exchange, and a great idea for an easy DIY homemade gift. For more Christmas cookie ideas check my Easy Shortbread Cookies, Cranberry Pistachio Christmas Shortbread Cookies, Peppermint Crunch Sugar Cookies, or Christmas Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies.
What You Need for Christmas Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
This easy recipe requires only a few simple ingredients:
Flour– for this recipe use regular all-purpose flour. You need to measure the flour correctly, and that means using a spoon and level method. Don’t just scoop the flour with measuring cups, out of the container/bag because you could end up with more than you need. Using a spoon, scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Do not pack the flour down and do not tap the measuring cup as both cause the flour to settle in the cup. After you’ve spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup.
Cristal sugar-after you cut out your cookies you will have to coat them with sugar. This recipe doesn’t use sugar for cookie dough, but after you coat the cookies with crystal sugar it will be sweet enough, and what’s more important they will be soo crunchy.
Butter– use unsalted butter for this recipe. Butter for cookie dough should be at room temperature but not too soft. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and leave it for 10-15 minutes on the counter. It will soften enough so you can mix I with the flour. If it softens too much, the dough will be too soft and sticky. For the filing leave the butter to soften completely so you can beat it into the cream with powdered sugar.
Heavy cream-except that not using sugar in the dough, this recipe is also different for using heavy cream, not only butter., like most shortbread cookie recipes.
Powdered sugar– before adding powdered sugar into the butter, sift it.
Vanilla extract-you can substitute vanilla with other extracts of your choice.
Food coloring-you’ll need red and green coloring. It’s best to use gel food coloring, liquid coloring might thin the buttercream too much so you will have to add more powdered sugar. Add a few drops at a time, until you reach the desired color.
How to Make Christmas Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Measure out the flour and place it in a mixing bowl. Add butter and cut it into the flour. You can do it coarsely, it doesn’t have to be extremely fine. Next, mix in the heavy cream. It might look dry at first, but it will come together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it with foil, and chill for at least an hour.
When ready to bake preheat the oven at 375 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper Lightly flour your countertop and roll your dough out to 1/8″ thickness. Cut into 1 1/2″ round or… whatever size you want!
Put the granulated sugar into a bowl and coat the rounds on each side so they are covered in sugar. You have to coat it in sugar generously, since, there is no sugar in the dough. I use water and lightly brush the edges of a cookie to help the sugar stick well. Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet. The cookies won’t spread so you can arrange them less than an inch apart.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly puffed. Coll them on a cookie sheet.
When the cookies are completely cooled make the filling.
Beat softened butter with powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a Tablespoon of heavy cream and mix until smooth and creamy. If the filling is too thin add just a little bit more powdered sugar, and if it’s too thick add a few drops of heavy cream.
Next, divide the filling into two equal parts and add red food coloring in one part and green in the second. Stir well until evenly colored.
You can place the filling in a zip-lock bag, cut off the corner, and pipe the filling onto the cookie. Place another cookie on top and gently press to stick together well.
Are you craving for more Christmas recipes? Check these out!
If you love holiday desserts, don’t miss this festive Christmas Cranberry Poke Cake recipe, perfect for your holiday table.
Check these recipes also!
PrintChristmas Shortbread Sandwich Cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: about 24 sandwich cookies 1x
Category: dessert
Method: bake
Cuisine: American
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Description
Christmas Shortbread Sandwich Cookies are a fun and easy Christmas cookie recipe. Buttery shortbread with red and green vanilla buttercream filling looks so festive. They simply scream Christmas. These are Santa approved cookies for sure!
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter-room temperature
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
Filling
- 1/3 cup butter-softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl place flour. Cut 1 cup butter into the flour. You can do it coarsely. It will be dry and sandy.
- Next, mix in the heavy cream. It mogt look dry at first, but it will come together. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap with foil and chill for at least an hour.
- When raedy to bake preheat the oven at 375 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside Lightly flour your countertop and roll your dough out to 1/8″ thickness. Cut into 1 ½ -inches circles.
- Put the granulated sugar into bowl and coat the rounds on each side so they are covered in sugar. You have to coat it in sugar generously, since, ther is no sugar in the dough. I use a water and ligtly brush the edges of a cooke to help the sugar stick well.
- Arrange cookies on a cookie sheet. The cookies won’t spread so you can arrange them less than an inch apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly puffed. Coll them on a cookie sheet.
- When the cookies are completely cooled make the filling.
- Beat softened butter with powdered sugar and vanilla. Add a Tablespoon of heavy cream and mix until smooth and creamy. If the filling too thin add just a little bit more powdered sugar, and if it’s too thick add a few drops of heavy cream.
- Next divide the filling in two equal parts and add red food coloring in one part and green in the second.
- Place the filling in a zip-lock bag , cut off the corner and pipe the filling onto the cookie. Place another cookie on top and getly press to stick together well.
2 comments
I have this recipe, and have made it many times, it is a favorite in our family and especially for my grandparents, These cookies are very delicious, but they are fragile. When I make these I poke the dough with a fork all over, like you would for a baked shell pie crust, then the tops don’t pull up so much, they stay flatter & easier to work with. I have never tried rolling the sides in sugar, I will have to try that.
Can you make these ahead of time? If so how do you store them?