White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread

5 from 1 vote

White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread

White Chocolate Peppermint Shortbread are soft buttery pink cookies perfect for your winter or Christmas cookie platter. Easy to make freezer friendly cookies recipe.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Chilling Time30

Total Time1 20

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert

Servings: pieces

Calories: 163kcal

Equipment

Measuring Cups
Measuring spoons
Food processor
Plastic Wrap or parchment paper
Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
Baking sheets
Knife
Cutting board
Small Spoon
Small Cup or bowl
Cooling Rack

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
⅔ 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
⅓ 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.
⅓ cup crushed peppermint candy, red sugar sprinkles

Notes

You can also make this by hand by pinching the butter into the flour mixture, or using a pastry cutter or fork. If it gets too warm from your hands, chill for a few minutes before continuing.

If you want to make these in a square pan and cut them into triangles or rectangles, follow instructions for Lemon Lavender Shortbread Cookies after making the dough.

The white candy melts set FAST so when decorating, only dunk and decorate 2 at a time to ensure the candy is not hard by the time you want to add sprinkles.

If your candy melts are starting to get hard when decorating, briefly reheat at 50% power in the microwave for about 15 seconds.

Nutrition