Shortbread cookies are an old favorite of mine–absolutely perfect in their slightly sweet, buttery simplicity and made even more so with the addition of a light vanilla buttercream frosting. These shortbread cookies have an almost biscuit-like texture, which is why I decided to top them off with the whipped frosting.

I used what I would call a “bulk” recipe for the shortbread cookies. After turning out 5 dozen mini cookies (1-inch in diameter), I still had about 1/3 of the dough leftover, so I stored it in the freezer for another day. If you’re baking for a crowd or an event, this is exactly the recipe for you, but if you just want a quick treat, you might want to halve the recipe.

For the cookies, you’ll need: 3 3/4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 pound butter (4 sticks, at room temperature), 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a large cookie sheet. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, usually three to five minutes. Then add in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix it until it is fully incorporated. Last, gradually mix in the dry ingredients until a thick dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times. Return the dough to the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Roll the dough into little balls (about a heaping teaspoon’s worth each), place the balls on the cookie sheet and press them flat (1/4 inch thick) with your palm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Note: The cookies do not brown around the edges (unless you leave them in too long), so be attentive to cooking time rather than their appearance.

For the frosting, all you need to do is mix together 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 stick butter (at room temperature), 1/4 cup milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Feel free to add a few drops of food coloring if you so please!

Transfer the dough to a ziploc bag, seal the bag tightly and cut one of the corners off of the bag. Pipe the frosting onto the completely cooled cookies and enjoy!

Would I make these cookies again?

This particular shortbread cookie recipe was not all that distinctive–nothing all that special. While I liked the cookies, I’m not sure I’d rush to make them again. I think I was looking for a bit of a deeper flavor (a hint of almond extract, perhaps) and a softer crumb. Of course, those two things mark the difference between a shortbread cookie and sugar cookie, so it may very well be just a matter of preference.

As far as the frosting, the vanilla buttercream was a nice touch, but in the future, I think I’d like to try a rich chocolate fudge frosting or dipping the cookies in a dark chocolate ganache.