Ina Garten’s Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread is made with unsalted butter, sugar, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt, and is coated with a blend of sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. This delicious Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread recipe creates a tasty dessert that takes about 1 hour to prepare and can serve up to 24 people.
This Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread Recipe Is From Go-To Dinner Cookbook by Ina Garten.
Ingredients Needed:
- ¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
FOR THE SUGAR COATING:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
How To Make Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread?
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the Dough: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix butter, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon warm water on low speed until just combined (avoid whipping). In another bowl, sift together flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of salt. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the butter mixture until it forms large clumps of dough.
- Chill and Roll: Transfer the dough to a floured surface, shape it into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough to a thickness of ½ inch on a floured board. Use a large (3½-inch) star cutter or any shape you like to cut the cookies.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the cookies an inch apart on the prepared sheets and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the edges just start to brown.
- Coat the Cookies: While the cookies are baking, mix the sugar coating ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a medium bowl. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them generously with the coating mixture. Allow them to cool on the sheet pans. Once cool, shake off any excess sugar mixture.
Recipe Tips:
- Use Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before mixing. Cold butter won’t blend well with the sugar and can result in a dense dough instead of a light, crumbly shortbread.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: When combining the butter and flour mixture, mix until just combined. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, leading to tough cookies instead of tender ones.
- Chill the Dough Before Rolling: Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps firm it up, making it easier to roll and cut into shapes without sticking or losing its form.
- Cut Even Thickness for Even Baking: When rolling the dough, aim for an even ½-inch thickness. Thinner cookies will bake too fast, and thicker ones might stay underbaked in the middle.
- Coat While Warm for Best Flavor: Sprinkle the sugar coating onto the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. The warmth helps the coating stick and enhances the flavor as the cookies cool.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers?
- Refrigerate: First, let the leftover shortbread cool until it reaches room temperature. Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week to keep them fresh and flavorful.
- Freeze: Allow the cookies to cool completely, then place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. You can freeze the shortbread for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw the cookies at room temperature for a few hours.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 1 cookie (out of 24 cookies)
- Calories: 252
- Total Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Cholesterol: 40mg
- Sodium: 75mg
- Potassium: 22mg
- Total Carbohydrate: 30g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 13g
- Protein: 2g
Try More Ina Garten Recipe:
- Ina Garten Sweetened Whipped Cream
- Ina Garten Easy Chocolate Mousse
- Ina Garten Roasted Pineapple With Coconut Gelato
- Ina Garten Beatty’s Chocolate Cupcakes
- Ina Garten Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Ina Garten Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread
Description
Ina Garten’s Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread is made with unsalted butter, sugar, pure vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt, and is coated with a blend of sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. This delicious Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread recipe creates a tasty dessert that takes about 1 hour to prepare and can serve up to 24 people.
Ingredients
FOR THE SUGAR COATING:
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix the Dough: In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix butter, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon warm water on low speed until just combined (avoid whipping). In another bowl, sift together flour, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of salt. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the butter mixture until it forms large clumps of dough.
- Chill and Roll: Transfer the dough to a floured surface, shape it into a flat disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Roll the dough to a thickness of ½ inch on a floured board. Use a large (3½-inch) star cutter or any shape you like to cut the cookies.
- Bake the Cookies: Place the cookies an inch apart on the prepared sheets and bake for 20 to 22 minutes until the edges just start to brown.
- Coat the Cookies: While the cookies are baking, mix the sugar coating ingredients (sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves) in a medium bowl. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them generously with the coating mixture. Allow them to cool on the sheet pans. Once cool, shake off any excess sugar mixture.
Notes
- Use Room Temperature Butter: Make sure your butter is at room temperature before mixing. Cold butter won’t blend well with the sugar and can result in a dense dough instead of a light, crumbly shortbread.
- Don’t Overmix the Dough: When combining the butter and flour mixture, mix until just combined. Overmixing can develop gluten in the flour, leading to tough cookies instead of tender ones.
- Chill the Dough Before Rolling: Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps firm it up, making it easier to roll and cut into shapes without sticking or losing its form.
- Cut Even Thickness for Even Baking: When rolling the dough, aim for an even ½-inch thickness. Thinner cookies will bake too fast, and thicker ones might stay underbaked in the middle.
- Coat While Warm for Best Flavor: Sprinkle the sugar coating onto the cookies as soon as they come out of the oven. The warmth helps the coating stick and enhances the flavor as the cookies cool.
Ina Garten Cinnamon-spiced Shortbread