Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies
I was in a craft store October 31st buying Halloween cookie cutters for the Rice Krispies Kit Kat Bars I was taking to a party that night. The very next day I went back to the same craft store and saw that, overnight, it had been transformed into a Christmas store.
I LOVE Christmas; but on November 1st I know that I have Hanukkah and Thanksgiving to think about first and I am not quite ready to focus on chestnuts roasting on an open fire!
This caused me to think about the flavors of the month of November. Even though we are still enjoying 80° weather in sunny South Florida, it feels like autumn, which means it must be cinnamon time.
I know you are probably thinking that pumpkin is the flavor of November, but it is cinnamon that is found within so many delicious pumpkin recipes. Why not let this wonderful spice take front and center stage for a change?
Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies are a breeze to make. You don’t even have to wait for the butter to come up to room temperature. The most time consuming part is waiting the hour (or longer if it works better with your schedule) for the dough to rest before rolling out.
The trick to maximizing the cinnamon taste is coating the cookies with a cinnamon/sugar mixture before baking. M-M-M!
There will be plenty of pumpkin and peppermint recipes coming your way soon enough. For just this very moment, however, take the time to appreciate the heavenly aroma of cinnamon that is only topped by its spicy taste.
| Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies | | Print |
- Cookies:
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Coating:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- For the cookies:
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the egg and vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients just until the dough stays together.
- Form into a disc and wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- For the coating:
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl that is large enough to accommodate a 3½” cookie. Set aside.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper so that it is ¼“ thick. Use a 3½” round glass or cookie cutter to cut circles.
- Gently coat each round in the cinnamon/sugar mixture and then place on the prepared pan.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 16 - 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Betsy's tidbits:
- The cookies may be rolled as thick or thin as you prefer. The baking time varies depending on the thickness of the cookies. The thicker the cookies, the longer the baking time.
- The number of cookies may vary depending on the thickness of the cookies.
- If you have leftover cinnamon/sugar, sprinkle it over some eggs or buttered toast. M-M-M.
