Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable version)

Delicate shortbread cookies flavored with vanilla and decorated with edible flowers for a special occasion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - 1 egg white, lightly beaten
07 - 1/4 cup edible dried flowers such as rose petals, lavender, violets, or calendula
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift flour and salt into the butter mixture. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut dough into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until edges are pale golden. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for gifting.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • They taste like pure butter and elegance but require barely any skill or special equipment.
  • The edible flowers do all the visual heavy lifting, making homemade gifts look like they came from a fancy bakery.
  • You can bake them days ahead, which means zero stress when life gets hectic.
02 -
  • The moment you see pale gold edges is the moment to pull them out—they continue cooking on the hot pan for a minute or two after you remove them from the oven.
  • Edible flowers must be food-grade and never treated with pesticides; sourcing them from a specialty grocery store or reputable online supplier makes all the difference in safety and flavor.
03 -
  • If your butter is too soft, the dough becomes greasy and spreads too much during baking—it should be softened but still hold its shape when pressed.
  • Pressing the flowers gently rather than firmly keeps them intact and looking delicate instead of bruised or flattened.
Return