These beautiful pink White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread cookies are a perfect winter addition for your Christmas cookie platter. Soft and buttery cookies studded with white chocolate chunks and crushed peppermint candy.
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread Cookies are delightful treats that combine the rich, buttery goodness of shortbread with the sweetness of white chocolate and the refreshing flavor of peppermint.
These soft and buttery cookies are perfect for Christmas. An easy cookie recipe with popular seasonal flavors, that are also beautiful!
To make these cookies, you would typically prepare a basic shortbread dough, incorporate white chocolate and peppermint flavor, shape the dough into cookies, and bake them until golden. Once cooled, you can add extra white chocolate drizzle and crushed peppermint for decoration.
Ingredients
All Purpose Flour
Unsalted Butter
Powdered Sugar – powdered sugar will give you soft cookies. If you want crisp crunchy cookies, use granulated sugar instead!
Peppermint Extract
Crushed Peppermint – you can buy them crushed, or crush your own candy canes or peppermint candies
White Chocolate Chips – for inside the cookies
Bright White Candy Melts – I prefer these over white chocolate for dunking because they melt much better!
Red Food Coloring – to make the dough pink!
Water – as needed to bring the dough together
Salt
Instruction Overview
First mix your dry ingredients together in a food processor.
Add the butter and extract, and pulse to combine until the dough is just staring to come together.
Add a little water as needed for it to come together, but do not add too much! We do not want a wet dough.
Press the dough together and roll into a log, wrapped with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Chill the dough at least 30 minutes.
Slice the dough into 1/2 inch slices, or thinner if desired.
Place them on a cookie sheet at least one inch apart.
Bake at 325 F for about 20 minutes until the edges are just starting to turn a light golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on a cookie rack completely before decorating.
To decorate, melt the candy melts as per package directions.
Dunk the cookies (or spoon on the candy melts which is what I prefer to do) and decorate as desired with more crushed peppermints or sprinkles.
Store in an air tight container.
Modifications and Substitutions
This recipe makes soft, buttery cookies. If you want crisp crunchy cookies instead, swap out the powdered sugar for the same amount of granulated sugar.
I love the pink cookies from the addition of red food coloring but you can also leave them white.
Kim’s Tips
Add just enough moisture to bring the dough together. Too much water will make the dough wet and affect the visual outcome of the cookies.
When decorating, candy melts will harden fast! So only do one or two at a time to make sure the sprinkles will stick to the candy melts.
I prefer the candy melts to white chocolate because they melt better, are easier to use, and have a better white color.
When using candy melts, use bright white and not just white. White has a little yellow tint to it, and the bright white will give you a truer white color.
FAQs
What is the key to good shortbread?
Shortbread cookies are simple and the key to making great ones are making sure you do not overmix the dough, do not add too much liquid, and use a pink of salt to balance the flavors.
What is difference between shortbread and sugar cookies?
Sugar cookies are lighter, and shortbread cookies are more dense. Shortbread has a larger quantity of butter to give it their signature flavor and texture.
Does shortbread freeze well?
Yes! Shortbread can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Peppermint Dessert Recipes
White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Plastic Wrap or parchment paper
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Knife
- Small Spoon
- Small Cup or bowl
- Cooling Rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- â…” cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, 226 grams) cold, cut into 1 inch chunks
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ cup crushed peppermint candy
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- 3 drops red food coloring
- 1 cup bright white candy melts
- â…“ cup crushed peppermint candy for decorating (more or less as desired)
- red sugar sprinkles optional, for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle position.
- In a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt Pulse together a few times to mix.2 cups all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup powdered sugar, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Add the butter chunks around the flour along with the peppermint extract. Pulse again until the dough starts to come together. Do not over process. It should still look crumbly. The dough should just stick together when squeezed. If too dry, add a little water to briefly incorporate.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Add the red food coloring, white chocolate, and crushed peppermint to the dough. Pulse briefly to just combine.¼ cup crushed peppermint candy, ½ cup white chocolate chips, 3 drops red food coloring
- Dump the dough onto a large sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Start pressing it together into a log shape, and roll up the paper around it to help make it into a log. Twist the ends and place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough log from the paper and using a serrated knife, slice the dough into ½ inch (or thinner) pieces.
- Place the cookies on a silicone mat or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake approximately 20 minutes, until the bottom edges that touch the baking sheet are just starting to turn a golden brown.
- Remove the cookies from the oven. Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.
- To decorate, melt the candy melts in a small glass as per package directions. Do not overheat as it will cause the candy to seize up.1 cup bright white candy melts
- Dunk or drizzle each cookie into the white candy melts when the cookies are cool. Sprinkle with more crushed peppermints and/or red sugar sprinkles on top of the wet glaze to set. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.â…“ cup crushed peppermint candy, red sugar sprinkles
