Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable Version)

Buttery shortbread cookies embellished with edible flowers, ideal for elegant celebrations and gifting.

# 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
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened 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 16-18 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 cookies in a decorative box for gifting.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The buttery dough is foolproof—no fancy techniques required, just a gentle hand and a little patience.
  • Edible flowers transform these from simple cookies into something that looks like you spent hours in a pastry shop, but the whole process takes barely an hour.
  • They keep beautifully for a week, so you can bake them ahead and pack them into a gift box without stress.
02 -
  • Overbaking is the enemy here; even a minute too long and your shortbread shifts from tender to dry and crumbly—trust the pale golden edges, not the clock.
  • Edible flowers must be sourced from food-grade suppliers; garden flowers or florist flowers are often treated with pesticides that are absolutely not safe to eat.
03 -
  • Use a light touch when pressing flowers onto the egg-white-brushed dough; they're delicate and will embed as they bake without you needing to press hard.
  • If your butter is still slightly cool when you cream it, give it an extra minute or two—warm butter creams better and makes fluffier, more tender cookies.
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