Buttery Ginger Shortbread Cookies

These buttery ginger shortbread cookies are crispy and crumbly, and are flavored with both candied ginger and vanilla. 

A wonderful thing about these cookies is that you can make them on impulse! No chilling of the dough is required. Okay, you do have to let the butter reach room temperature, but if you cut it into pieces, it reaches room temperature pretty quickly.

The ginger flavor is mild and sweet and the ingredient list is relatively short. Instant (almost) cookie gratification.

While these ginger cookies were baking, even though it was mid-April, my house smelled like Christmas.  These cookies would definitely be a wonderful addition to any holiday cookie tray. 

There are lots of reasons why you need to make these cookies. They're just flat out delicious. 

Ingredients in These Ginger Shortbread Cookies:

From your Pantry and Fridge: Unsalted butter, all purpose flour, salt, pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste. 

Superfine/Baker's Sugar: This is sugar that has been ground extra finely. You can find it at the grocery store or make your own by pulsing it in a food processor. 

Crystalized/Candied Ginger: It's delicious and hard to resist snacking on while you're making the cookies. I find the grocery store crystalized ginger in the spice section can be expensive so I like to buy it online by the bag. 

Sparkling Sugar: For topping the cookies. You can also use granulated sugar. 

Procedure:

First, beat the butter until fluffy and then beat in the sugar, vanilla, and ginger, and mix until light and fluffy. 

Next, on a lower speed, slowly add the salt and flour until incorporated. 

After that, roll out the dough between sheets of wax or parchment paper and cut it with a round scalloped edge cookie cutter. Sprinkle them with the the sparkling sugar. 

Finally, bake the cookies for about 12 to 13 minutes. 

These were a huge hit in this house for both residents and visitors (grandkids! My favorite customers).

Recipe notes:

• The recipe calls for superfine sugar. To make it, just pulse granulated sugar in a mini food processor a few times. 
• If you would like a stronger ginger flavor, you could add some powdered ginger to the dough. 
• To get the dough to lift off of the wax paper, roll it out, lift off the top piece, place it back onto the dough, flip the dough over between the two sheets of paper, remove the (now) top piece of paper, and cut the cookies with the cookie cutter. This method will keep the cookies from sticking. 
• If you'd like an even stronger ginger flavor, try my homemade ginger snap recipe, my molasses ginger cookies, or my ginger and amber ale cookies.  

More Gingery Cookies from my Friends:

• Favourite Gingerbread Cookies from What Smells So Good?
• Ginger Cookies with Cardamom from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Séches aux Gingembre from Food Lust People Love

More Shortbread Recipes:

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shortbread Bars

Slice and Bake Lemon Shortbread Cookies

Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies with Nutella

Praline Pecan Coconut Shortbread Bars

Updated Post: First published November, 2014 and revised April, 2023. 

Buttery Ginger Shortbread Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 40 MinCook time: 13 MinTotal time: 53 Min

These buttery ginger shortbread cookies are crispy and crumbly, and are flavored with both candied ginger and vanilla.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, room temperature
• 95 grams (1/2 cup) superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste
• 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 248 grams (8 3/4 ounces) (2 Cups) unbleached all purpose flour
• Sanding or granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. One of the oven racks should be in the middle of the oven.
2. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix it with the paddle attachment on medium for about a minute.
3. While continuing to beat the butter, slowly pour in the sugar, the vanilla, and the candied ginger. Mix for another 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the salt. Then add the flour in thirds, mixing about 15 to 30 seconds between additions. The flour should be just incorporated. Don't over mix.
5. Gather up the dough and place it on a large piece of wax or parchment paper. Moosh the dough together and pat it into a rough circle.
6. Place another piece of wax/parchment paper on top of the dough, and roll it out, between the two pieces of paper, to 1/4 inch thick.
7. Cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch rounds with a scalloped or ruffled edge cookie cutter.
8. Place the cookies onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
9. Gather up and roll out the scraps and cut more cookies.
10. Sprinkle the cookies with the sparkling or granulated sugar.
11. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for about 12 to 13 minutes minutes, until the edges are beginning to brown.
12. Cool the cookies on the pan.
13. The cookies can be stored up to five days in an airtight container. They freeze quite well.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

132.09

Fat (grams)

7.75 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.86 g

Carbs (grams)

14.7 g

Fiber (grams)

0.28 g

Net carbs

14.42 g

Sugar (grams)

6.76 g

Protein (grams)

1.15 g

Cholesterol (grams)

20.25 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2014/11/buttery-ginger-shortbread-cookies.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

cookies, shortbread

Dessert

American

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Recipe inspired by Sarabeth's Bakery. It's from the same folks who produce the legendary spreadable fruit.