We visited one of my friends and her sweet newborn baby girl this week and brought these shortbread cookies - one for each member of her new family of five:

This recipe (adapted from Gourmet’s) is so easy you won’t even have to break out the mixer. Dress them up with royal icing clothing or just sprinkle them with colored sanding sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup superfine sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Step 1

While your oven is preheating to 375, blend the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt with a fork until well combined.

Step 2

Sift the flour over the butter mixture and continue blending with your fork until a soft dough forms. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet.

Step 3

Using your hands, shape the dough into a rectangle or square about 1/4 of an inch thick.

Step 4

Cut out the shapes for each member of the family. I used nested gingerbread men cookie cutters in three sizes. If you’re adding sanding sugar, do it now.

Step 5

Bake the shortbread for about 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden. Cool the cookies (still on the baking sheet) on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer them to the rack to finish cooling. If you’re adding icing, wait until the cookies are completely cooled and then decorate away!

Step 6 (Optional)

Perform emergency candy melt surgery on any broken limbs that your husband happens to eat thinking - somehow - that the cookies are for him.

Happy Baking!

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Chrissy – who has written 426 posts on The Outlaw Mom® Blog - Creative Living in a Conventional World.

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