Raspberry Swirl Shortbread Cookies (Printable)

Buttery shortbread meets tangy raspberry jam in these crisp-edged, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Filling & Topping

06 - 1/3 cup raspberry jam or preserves
07 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for dusting (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter with powdered sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add vanilla extract and mix thoroughly until fully combined.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture, mixing until just combined without overworking the dough.
05 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log approximately 1.5 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until firm.
06 - Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
07 - Using the back of a teaspoon, make a small indentation in the center of each cookie.
08 - Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam into each indentation, taking care not to overfill.
09 - Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are light golden brown.
10 - Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
11 - Once fully cooled, dust with granulated sugar if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in one bowl with no fussy steps, so you can go from craving to cooling rack in an hour.
  • Each cookie tastes like a tiny celebration, with that perfect balance of sweet, tart, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery richness.
  • They look elegant enough to gift but feel cozy enough to eat three in a row with your afternoon tea.
02 -
  • If your butter is too warm, the dough will spread too much in the oven and you'll lose that perfect round shape, so make sure it's softened but still cool to the touch.
  • Don't skip the chilling step, I learned this the hard way when I tried to slice the dough right away and ended up with ragged, crumbly edges instead of clean rounds.
  • Use a jam that's thick and not too runny, or it will seep out during baking and caramelize on the pan, making cleanup a chore and the cookies messy.
03 -
  • Press the indentations gently and evenly so the jam sits in a neat pool, if you go too deep or off-center the cookie can crack or the jam can leak out.
  • If the dough gets too soft while you're slicing, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up again, it makes all the difference in getting clean, even rounds.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before stacking or storing them, the jam stays soft and sticky when warm and can glue the cookies together in the tin.
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