My mama is famous for her Christmas baking. Every year she bakes loads of Christmas cookies, of every possible variety. Some are on a perpetually-refilled platter, ready to serve any guests who stop by. Others, she gives to friends, family, and neighbors in pretty tins. So this is a tradition I now carry on with my girls. But unlike my mama, who just does rolled sugar cookies, we also do a deliciously simple shortbread cookie called Grandma’s Shortbread.
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I don’t know whose Grandma’s Shortbread recipe this is (not mine!). I got the recipe from the back of a cornstarch box well over a decade ago, when I was living in Canada. All I know is, it’s the best shortbread cookie I’ve ever made by far.
What Makes This Shortbread Cookie The Best?
If you’ve ever made a traditional shortbread cookie but disliked the thought of eating what’s basically pure butter, then this cookie is for you. Not only is this 4-ingredient cookie super-easy to make, but it’s much lighter than traditional shortbread because it substitutes cornstarch for some of the butter. The result is a cookie that is just as melt-in-your-mouth delicious, but at the same time light and fluffy.
There are several variations on this cookie:
- You can add flavored extract of your choice to give it an extra layer of flavor.
- You can make it either as a rolled cookie or a drop cookie.
- You can make an almond variation and cook it as almond crescent cookies, which you can then eat as-is. OR dip in melted chocolate.
But all of them are super-simple to make. And since I almost couldn’t find the recipe when the girls and I made them last week, I figured I’d better put it on my website. Partly so I don’t misplace it again, partly so you-all can enjoy it, too!
So without further ado, here is the recipe for
Grandma’s Shortbread Cookies (Sablés de Bonne-Maman)
Approx. 2 dozen cookies
What you need:
- 1 c. all-purpose flour (or use almond flour for gluten-free cookies)
- 1/2 c. cornstarch
- 1/2 c. powdered (confectioner’s/icing) sugar
- 3/4 c. butter or margarine*, salted
- (optional) 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract, or whatever flavor extract you prefer (this is not in the original recipe, but I always add it)
- (optional) food coloring, colored sugar, etc. for decorating the cookies
*Using margarine will make this a vegan cookie, but then it technically won’t be a shortbread cookie because it won’t contain butter. However, they will still be tasty. While you can use unsalted butter, the cookies just won’t taste as good; the flavor will be somewhat bland.
The basic idea:
- Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Sift together dry ingredients.
- With a wooden spoon (or a stand mixer on medium-low setting), mix the butter or margarine into the dry ingredients, until the dough has an even consistency throughout. (If it’s too sticky to handle, cover and chill 30-60 minutes.)
- For drop cookies, roll dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls and flatten them with a fork dipped in sugar.
- For rolled cookies, on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out until it’s ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Cut with your favorite shaped cookie cutters, and decorate.
- Or you can roll the dough into a log and slice it into slices 1/4 in (6 mm) thick.
- Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned at the edges.
- Cool the cookies thoroughly on a wire rack, before storing them in an air-tight container.


Mix it up:
- Be careful not to roll the dough too thin, or the cookies won’t taste as good.
- If you like, you can add food coloring to the dough before baking. To make the dark-brown reindeer cookies in the pictures, I mixed together the leftover bits of green, yellow, and red dough. Once they were blended, I added more of each coloring as needed, until the dough turned a dark, chocolatey brown.
- It’s OK if the dough is still crumbly after you’ve mixed it with a spoon or your stand mixer. Once you start handling it to form it into balls for drop cookies, logs for cutting, or a ball for rolling and cutting, it should hold together better.
- If the dough still seems dry and crumbly, or doesn’t hold together well when you try to cut it, add a little water (or add your food coloring) to moisten it just enough to become “dough”-y again.
- Almond Crescent Cookies: As you’re mixing the dough, add in 1/2 c. ground almonds and 1/2 t. to 1/2 T almond extract. (If the dough ends up too wet, add a little more cornstarch.) Roll into logs 1/2 in. (1 cm) in diameter by 3 in (7 cm) long. Form each log into a crescent shape. Bake as directed above. (Optional) Dip one end of the baked, cooled cookies into melted chocolate; dry on a piece of wax paper.
Your turn:
Do you bake cookies for Christmas (or another wintertime holiday) with your kids each year? Have you ever made shortbread cookies? What is your favorite cookie type for holiday baking/eating? Let us know in the comments!
If you enjoyed this recipe for Grandma’s Shortbread, why not share it with others by pinning this image?
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