Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable version)

Buttery shortbread cookies decorated with edible flowers, delivering a delicate, elegant flavor perfect for special occasions.

# Ingredients list:

→ 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
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Steps:

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 the butter mixture. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. 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 surface. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes until edges are pale golden. Avoid overbaking.
08 - Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for presentation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste like pure, uncomplicated butter—no overpowering vanilla or sugar competing for attention.
  • The edible flowers transform simple cookies into something that feels handcrafted and thoughtful, not fussy.
  • You can make them days ahead, which means less stress and more time to arrange them beautifully in a gift box.
02 -
  • Do not overbake these—the margin between perfect and hard is tiny, and your oven might run hot, so start checking at 16 minutes.
  • Edible flowers must be sourced from food suppliers or reputable culinary companies; florist flowers and garden flowers are treated with chemicals that aren't safe to eat, no matter how beautiful they look.
  • If your dough cracks when rolling, it was too cold; let it warm at room temperature for 10 minutes and try again with gentler pressure.
03 -
  • Chill your dough for 20 minutes before rolling if your kitchen is warm—cold dough is easier to work with and produces more tender cookies.
  • Use a bench scraper or thin spatula to lift cookies from the work surface; a regular knife often bends delicate shapes, but a wide flat tool slides underneath without pressure.
  • If you can't find edible flowers locally, specialty online retailers ship them quickly and they arrive as vibrant as fresh ones, just desiccated for preservation.
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