During the holidays my uncle’s girlfriend makes these amazing brown sugar shortbread cookies that she rolls out and ices. Unfortunately, she wont give me the recipe. I have searched all over the place for a recipe that tastes like her cookies and I’ve never been able to find one. Perhaps this public plea will make her more sympathetic to my cause?
In the interim though I’ve found a substitute that almost tastes right, but not quite. I used an itty bitty shamrock cookie cutter to make cute shapes and drizzled the tops with green icing and sparkly sprinkles. In literally minutes you’ll have dozens of cookies to share with the little leprechauns in your life.
Shamrock Shortbread (Inspired by the Brown Sugar Shortbread recipe originally published in the April 2007 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes. Place the cookies onto a well greased baking sheet or silpat.
Bake until just slightly golden around the edges, 8-10 minutes. Note: Do not overcook or you’ll have mini shortbread hockey pucks. Let the shortbread cool and decorate as desired with your favorite icing and sugar sprinkles.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Those are adorable! I love shortbread. I’ve never made a brown sugar one, though. Probably time to fix that.
Those are really really cute! I love shortbread but I never think to make it myself. I’ll have to dig through my cookie cutters and see what shapes I have!
She won’t give you the recipe! That’s hilarious! She’s probably worried you’re going to make it and your cookies will rock and everyone will like yours more. She doesn’t read this blog, does she? Because I’m sure hers are lovely, but really, who can compare when it comes to you and baking?! 🙂
These look easy enough, and Mason REALLY is loving to help me “cook” lately.
very cute! st. patrick’s day has never made any sense to me, but these cookies make me a fan!
Those are so cute!
these look amazing!
Beautifully decorated! Some people are strange about their secret recipes – I think it’s more fun to share recipes and set them free! My fingers are crossed that she’ll cave in and give you the recipe 🙂
Come on UGF (Uncle’s Girl Friend) share with us. The cookies look great!
I always thought recipes were for sharing! These still sound wonderful and are very cute!
Hi Erin–
These look so cute, I can’t resist making them!
I’m making these now and am wondering about the butter to flour ratio. 1 c. butter is two sticks, and 1 cup flour doesn’t seem like it’s enough. Most of my shortbread recipes are 1 stick butter to 1 cup flour…
Alex
Hi there,
Just seen this site. Hopefully you are still looking at it.
I don’t know if this will help you but my mother made
shortbread years ago and she used dark brown sugar,
and baked it on a cookie sheet lined with a brown
bag. Maybe this would help. Good luck.