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This shortbread is simple to prepare, and it will be a beautiful and delicious addition to any holiday cookie plate!
Putting a recipe on bags of baking supplies is really one of the more genius marketing strategies out there. It gets me every. single. time. At least in one way or another, they always get me.
Have you seen the bags of Christmas M&M Minis? I think there might be a recipe for sugar cookies on there. I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. I’ve never actually looked at the exact recipe though, because I get totally sidetracked by the tiny little illustration of the cookie… which looks like shortbread to me.
So I have been dreaming about M&M shortbread for weeks, and finally decided to make a batch for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. And they did not disappoint! I managed to stop at eating just one cookie, but I don’t think I’m going to stop dreaming about them any time soon…
The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap is as cool as it sounds. Basically, gazillions (okay, 576 to be exact) of bloggers agree to send a batch of cookies out to three bloggers. This arrangement it totally Secret-Santa-style, so you have no idea who drew your name until a box of cookies shows up at your door!
I’ve participated in it for the past 3 years, and it’s always a blast. The cookies are delicious, but I think it’s even more fun to have a small personal connection with a few of the other bloggers out there!
To top everything off, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap raised over $4,400 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer!! What a fun experience this cookie swap is each year. I’m so grateful to have been a part of it!
The base for this shortbread recipe came from one of my very favorite bloggers, Kristen who blogs at Dine and Dish.
The dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
If the dough is too crumbly, add a little more butter. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
I like to use a silicone baking mat or parchment paper to roll out my dough on. This way, there’s no need to flour the surface and the cookies don’t stick.
The cookies can also be baked on a greased baking sheet, but they may not be as pretty.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
M&M Shortbread Cookie FAQ
What kind of M&Ms can be used?
Any type of M&Ms will work in this recipe. I used the Christmas Mini M&Ms, but regular sized M&Ms or even peanut butter M&Ms would be delicious!
Yes, these cookies can be frozen. They will keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Do I have to use a stand mixer?
A stand mixer is not necessary, but it will make the job a lot easier. You can use a hand mixer or mix by hand with a spoon.
Can I use a different type of candy melts?
You can use any color of candy melts that you would like. I used chocolate candy melts, but white, silver, or any other color would be beautiful!
Can I use a different type of cookie cutter?
Yes, you can use any type of cookie cutter that you would like. I recommend a star-shaped cookie cutter, but any shape would be cute!
M&M Shortbread Cookies are a delicious and easy addition to any holiday cookie plate! These cookies are simple to prepare, and they will be a beautiful and delicious addition to any holiday party! The dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer, making these cookies the perfect make-ahead dessert!
M&M Shortbread Cookies
Yield: 12
Ingredients
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
optional: 1-2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup M&M minis
optional: 1/2 cup chocolate candy melts for drizzle
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Beat together the butter and powdered sugar (a stand mixer is great for this, as the powdered sugar will make quite a mess if you're using a hand mixer).
Slowly add the flour (about a half cup at a time), mixing a bit in between each addition.
The mixture will look crumbly at first, but the dough will come together after a few minutes. If needed, add water (one teaspoon at a time) to help dough form. I ended up adding 1 tbsp + 1 tsp. However, beware of adding to much. This dough should not be sticky.
Gently mix in the M&Ms with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured silicone baking mat or parchment paper and roll out to a 1/4" thick rectangle. Using the parchment or baking mat, life the dough onto a baking sheet (leave the parchment or silicone mat as the lining). Cut dough into 12 rectangles.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until edges begin to turn a light golden brown.
Let cool completely. on a wire rack.
Drizzle the melting candy over top and sprinkle with additional M&Ms if desired.
"Shortbread" is just Scottish shortbread; they're one and the same. While the recipe has changed throughout its history, and there is a version of shortbread from Ireland, the original shortbread you're familiar with comes from Scotland.
This is much thicker than a roll-and-slice sugar cookie — or really any other popular type of cookie. If you keep your dough any thicker, you risk the dough coming out of the oven raw. If it's any thinner, the cookie will have a crispy texture with the snap of a graham cracker.
Shortbread has a buttery melt in your mouth crumbly texture. For some people it can even have a dry sandy texture. Should I refrigerate the shortbread cookie dough? I would advise refrigerating the dough for at least an hour and then refrigerating the cookies for about 15-20 before baking.
The word "bread" comes from "biscuit bread" which was made from leftover bread dough that was sweetened and dried out in the oven to make biscuits. Why do you poke holes in shortbread? The holes allow the moisture to escape during baking and more even heat distribution. This helps dry out and crisp up the cookies.
Shortbread or shortie is a traditional Scottish biscuit usually made from one part white sugar, two parts butter, and three to four parts plain wheat flour. Shortbread does not contain any leavening, such as baking powder or baking soda.
It is super crumbly as a result of minimal kneading. As the dough isn't worked very much, gluten can't build up so the shortbread stays very fragile. The addition of semolina or rice flour helps increase the crumbliness whereas cornstarch makes the biscuits denser and therefore harder.
However, lipids, which are a component to food such as shortbread cookies are considered unhealthy because they are the most energetic nutrients in food and are a source of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (usually 40%) and sometimes also trans fatty isomers (TFA) [4,5,6].
Should butter be cold or room temperature for making shortbread? Always start with cold butter straight from the refrigerator. This will keep the dough from warming up, making it greasy and difficult to roll out.
Unsalted Butter: As the base of nearly all shortbread recipes, butter supplies these classic cookies with flavor and softness. Make sure you use room temperature butter that's still cool to the touch. If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense.
Unsalted butter is most commonly called for in baking recipes. Unsalted butter has a very neutral, creamy flavor—a great base for many baked goods. In baking, precise measurements are key for achieving the right flavor and texture. This even extends to small amounts of ingredients like salt.
Unsalted Butter: As the base of nearly all shortbread recipes, butter supplies these classic cookies with flavor and softness. Make sure you use room temperature butter that's still cool to the touch. If it's too warm, the butter and sugar cannot properly cream and the cookies will taste dense.
Good shortbread is pale, buttery, crunchy, and 'short'. This means it crumbles at every bite, giving that characteristic shortbread texture. It shouldn't be soft or chewy like cookies, and it shouldn't be browned.
Many shortbread recipes start by having you cream softened butter with sugar, incorporating the dough with what former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks describes as “micro pockets of air.” Because air is a poor conductor of heat, “it helps insulate the dough from the hot baking sheet in the oven, slowing the rate at ...
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