1dropblue food colouringmake sure to use a vegan brand if preferred, or skip and keep the glaze white
candy sprinkles of choicemake sure to use a vegan brand if preferred
Instructions
In a large bowl, beat the margarine with a hand mixer for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Then add the sugar and vanilla and keep mixing until combined.
Add the flour half at a time and mix until combined. You will have a mixture that doesn't appear to hold together, but it will. Use your hands to shape the dough into a flattened ball at the bottom of your bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a large baking tray with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on your countertop and the cold dough on top. Flatten and stretch the dough using a greased rolling pin to approx ¼" thick. Then use cookie cutters to make your cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies to your baking sheet. Then re-roll the leftover dough, flatten again, and continue making cookies. Repeat until all the dough is consumed.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely before glazing.
Optional Glaze
Combine the icing sugar with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and mix well. If the glaze is too thick, add one more tablespoon and mix again. Then add a drop of food colouring, if using and mix to combine.
Use a silicone brush to glaze the cookies and then sprinkle them with your candy. Make sure to add the sprinkles immediately after glazing while the glaze is wet so they stick. Set aside and let dry.
Video
Notes
Use cookie cutters with less detail for ease. Cutters with more grooves intricate patterns will be tougher to hold together when transferring to your baking sheet. Simple shapes like circles, hearts, or stars are less likely to break.Grease your rolling pin so it doesn't stick to your dough. This will make smoother cookies, but don't aim for perfection. The glaze and sprinkles will cover the tops of your cookies anyhow.If your rolling pin is still sticking to your dough, add a sheet of parchment paper on top and roll on top of the parchment.Use care when transferring your shortbread cookies to your baking sheet. The dough is soft, and the cookies can break if using too much force. I like to use a large fork or pie knife to scrape under the cookie first (to "unstick" them from the parchment), then slowly lift and transfer.But if any cookies break, don't worry! You can gently press the piece back together with greased fingers. If it's not salvageable, just add it to your discard pile for re-rolling for the next round.The thickness of your dough will determine the cooking time. If you roll your dough thinner, the cookies will bake faster, but if you roll the dough thicker, they will need a little longer in the oven. Start checking on them around the 10-minute mark to ensure they don't burn.Allow your shortbread cookies to cool completely before glazing. If the cookies are too hot, the glaze will drip and run and the candies will melt.Once glazed, sprinkle the candies immediately, before the glaze sets, or they will not stick.The nutritional information does not include the optional glaze.Cookies will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week or freeze in a freezer-safe, airtight container for up to 2 months. Separate layers of cookies with parchment paper before freezing.