Easter Shortbread Cookies (2024)

Easter Shortbread Cookies are prepared with a light and airy shortbread cookie base consisting of only three ingredients! The fourth and final ingredient is everyone’s favourite Easter treat, crushed Cadbury Mini Eggs! These are so simple, so fast, and so easy to make!

I love a good cookie just as much as the next person, but I don’t crave sweets like most people do.For the most part, I crave salty treats and snacks.But now and then, something like these Easter Shortbread Cookies comes along and I lose all control and just cannot stop eating them. I’m serious!

A good shortbread recipe is hard to come by, even though there are many different varieties out there. What I mean by a good shortbread recipe is one that is not too difficult to master, takes very little time, is inexpensive, and holds its shape when baked.

This recipe has all of that, plus one added bonus – it’s adaptable! You can omit the crushed chocolate if you want. You can top the baked cookies with royal icing if you’d prefer. There are so many options, for example, you can tint the cookie dough with food colouring and make a shortbread cookie with more colour and more pizzazz! Additionally, you can roll them out and use your favourite cookie cutter shapes or cut them into squares with a knife.

Have you ever tried seasoning your shortbread cookies? I do it all the time! It’s so easy to add a little bit of cinnamon to the flour and beat it into the butter and sugar mixture. One of my favourite flavours in shortbread cookies is anise. I use that one quite often! The only thing you cannot do with this recipe is add extracts. Use spices only, because extracts add moisture, which will likely result in a cookie with not-so-defined shapes.

This is a shortbread recipe that works every single time. If you’re looking to use a cookie cutter for your shortbread, then this recipe is for you! This shortbread dough holds its shape very well. It does puff up and rise a little bit. But, the details and fine lines from your cookie cutters remain true and very distinct. Obviously, for this particular version of my shortbread cookie, I used an egg cookie cutter.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare these Easter Shortbread Cookies. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Salted Butter– Make sure your butter is at room temperature! If you do not have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter, but add a half teaspoon of salt to the butter and sugar mixture.
• Confectioner’s Sugar– This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar. It is used in frostings quite often. When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
• Flour– No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Cadbury Mini Eggs

HOW TO MAKE EASTER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar until well blended in a large bowl. Then, add the flour and blend into the butter mixture until just incorporated. Do not over-mix! Separate the dough into two equal portions and wrap them well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Remove the dough from the fridge. Working with one batch at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the desired shapes. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet using a flat, slotted, metal spatula. Leave 2 inches between each cookie. Top each cookie with a sprinkling of crushed Cadbury Mini Eggs.

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven promptly and allow cookies to rest for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Re-roll the leftover dough, and bake the next batch. Store in a cookie tin on your countertop. Enjoy!

POINTERS ON ROLLING COOKIE DOUGH

How are your dough rolling skills? Mine are horrible, which is why I cheated! I love using my rolling pins and any excuse I can get to practice my rolling skills, I’m up for it. A while ago, I used to have a collection of wooden rolling pins, but I got rid of them all just because I was short on space. We still have the rolling pin that belonged to John.e’s mom.

Cheated; oh, yes! A few years ago, I purchased aJoseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin. You must Google it if you don’t know what type of rolling pin I’m referring to. I always have a problem with rolling dough evenly, no matter how much I love to practice. This particular rolling pin eliminates my inadequate dough rolling technique. It has interchangeable disks on each end of the wooden pin with specific measurements. You can get perfectly flat dough every single time!

AN EASY WAY TO CRUSH MINI EGGS

For this recipe, I usedCadbury Mini Eggs. Crushing Cadbury Mini Eggs is not a task that should be completed with a food processor or with a resealable bag and a rolling pin. It’s too easy to over-crush the eggs.

The best way to crush the mini eggs is with a pestle and mortar. Place one egg at a time into the bowl and pound it lightly until it breaks into a few pieces. Add another egg and apply the same action. It does take some time, but it’s best to do it this way than to end up with pulverized mini eggs!

Now, if you don’t have a pestle and mortar, you can use my wooden spoon method. Yes, it’s all mine! Here’s how you do it. Hold one mini egg lengthwise between your index finger and thumb. Using the edge of the wooden spoon, firmly tap the egg and it will crack into a few pieces. The goal is to break the eggs into chunks, but not too finely. You will want to see the chunks of chocolate on top of your cookies. And, you’ll want the colours to pop too. It adds texture as well as visual appeal.

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

These Easter Shortbread Cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days in a covered container and in a cool place. But, if you plan to freeze these cookies, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. (I usethesequite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that cookie freshness locked in!

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them.

When ready to thaw, remove them from the freezer and take out as many as you need at that time. It’s never a good idea to thaw all of them and put them back in the freezer again. Set aside for 20 minutes or so. These look great in cellophane bags with a festive ribbon. They make great gifts for friends and neighbours! Don’t package them in cellophane until the day you are giving them as a gift.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!