Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery shortbread accented with edible flowers, offering a delicate, elegant treat.

# What You 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

# Directions:

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 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 cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for gift presentation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They taste like luxury but honestly require just five ingredients for the dough, which means less stress and more time admiring how pretty they look.
  • The edible flowers aren't pretentious—they're your secret weapon for making someone feel genuinely seen and celebrated.
02 -
  • Don't use fresh flowers no matter how beautiful they look—they contain moisture that will make your cookies soggy, and some aren't safe to eat; stick to dried, food-grade edible flowers from trusted sources.
  • The egg white acts as both adhesive and shine, but brush it lightly; too much and your flowers will slide around during baking, too little and they won't stick.
03 -
  • Cream your butter until it's genuinely fluffy rather than just soft—this is the only time a kitchen timer matters, and it makes the difference between dense and tender.
  • Keep your edible flowers somewhere cool and dry, away from direct sunlight, so they stay vibrant and delicate right up until you use them; check them just before baking to make sure they haven't faded.
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