Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable)

A box of tender, buttery shortbread adorned with edible flowers for an elegant celebration.

# What You’ll Need:

→ 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 such as rose petals, lavender, violets, or calendula
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift in flour and salt. 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 into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake 16 to 18 minutes, until edges are pale golden. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for presentation.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies taste like pure butter and elegance—the kind of treat that feels impossibly fancy but comes together in under an hour.
  • Decorating them with edible flowers is genuinely fun, and they photograph so beautifully that gifting them feels like a celebration in itself.
  • The dough is forgiving enough for beginners but impressive enough to make anyone feel like a pastry chef.
02 -
  • The difference between shortbread that melts on your tongue and shortbread that crumbles in your hand comes down to not overmixing—stir just until the ingredients combine, then stop.
  • Edible flowers must be genuinely food-grade and pesticide-free; flowers from a regular florist or garden center treated with chemicals are not safe to eat, so source them from specialty baking suppliers or trusted online vendors.
03 -
  • Let your butter come to room temperature naturally rather than microwaving it—it creams more evenly and creates a lighter, more tender result.
  • If your rolled dough is too soft to cut cleanly, pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using your cookie cutters for sharp, beautiful edges.
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