Mini Egg Shortbread Cookies

Add these beautiful gems to your platters or charcuterie spreads for a little extra colour and an unexpected treat to balance out a cheese tray or other savoury spread

These melt-in-your-mouth shortbreads can be prepared up to two weeks in advance for your gathering and they will still taste freshly baked. Because they stay delicious for weeks, they also make a great take-home gift for your guests. Just make sure to bake them thoroughly and that they are dry all the way to the centre if you need them to last; they tend to hang on to moisture in their centres.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 10 ounces (285 g/1 1/2 cups) lightly smashed milk chocolate candy mini eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, lightly cream the butter on medium-high speed just until it is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not incorporate air into the butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Add the icing sugar, cornstarch, vanilla bean paste, and salt and beat on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed, until the mixture is smooth and no chunks remain, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the flour and mini eggs and mix on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed, until the flour is fully incorporated, without whipping air into the dough, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Scoop 21 1 1/2-tablespoon portions of cookie dough onto each prepared baking sheet, leaving a little space between them. Gently press down on the cookies to flatten them to 3/4-inch thickness. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12 to 16 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets.

DO AHEAD

You can make these cookies ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. They can be frozen, in an airtight container, for up to two months. Thaw them uncovered at room temperature for an hour before serving.

Excerpted from Cake & Loaf Gatherings: Sweet and Savoury Recipes to Celebrate Every Occasion by Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham. Copyright © 2023 Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham. Photography and illustrations by Nickey Miller. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.