Whipped Shortbread Cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 16 minutes
Yield: about 6 dozen cookies

These cookies graced our holiday table for as long as I can remember. They simply melt in your mouth and I dare you to eat just one!

Ingredients
2 cups butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
1 cup icing (powdered/confectioners) sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
red and green glace cherries or assorted dragées,

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter, icing sugar, and flour. Using the whisk attachment, mix on medium-high speed for several minutes until fully incorporated. Turn the mixer to high speed and whip the batter for 8 to 10 minutes until it is very, very light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl every minute.

*NOTE - It's difficult to explain the correct texture of the dough but check the dough at around the 8 minute mark. It should be the consistency of a really thick buttercream frosting. It should be soft, fluffy, and easy enough to put through the pastry bag and tip, but not too easy or the cookies will flatten too much when baking.

Using a pastry bag fitted with a #1M star tip, or a cookie press, pipe cookies (about 1-1/2" diameter) on a parchment lined baking sheet. When piping the cookies, do not press the tip down to make the cookies flat. The cookies should be about 1"high when piped. They will bake down and flatten slightly, but you want them to retain their flower shape and don't want them to flatten completely.

Cut the cherries in half and place half of the cherry in the center of a cookie so it resembles a flower. If you are using candy dragées, drop 3 to 5 in the center of each cookie.

Bake for 13 - 16 minutes, or until the bottom begins to brown slightly around the edges. Remove from the oven and place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely. Pack carefully to freeze. Freezes well.