Mothers Day Floral Shortbread Box (Printable)

Buttery shortbread cookies topped with edible flowers create an elegant treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Shortbread Dough

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2/3 cup powdered sugar
03 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
04 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
05 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Decoration

06 - 1 egg white, lightly beaten
07 - 1/4 cup edible dried flowers
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract.
03 - Sift in flour and salt. Stir until just combined into a soft dough.
04 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with egg white. Gently press edible flowers onto cookies. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake 16-18 minutes, until edges are pale golden. Do not overbake.
08 - Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Arrange cooled cookies in a decorative box for presentation and gifting.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies melt on your tongue with that perfect buttery crumb that makes people ask for the recipe immediately.
  • They look so refined and gift-worthy that you'll feel like you've mastered pastry arts, even if this is your first time making them.
  • The whole process takes less time than streaming a movie, which means you can absolutely pull this off last-minute.
02 -
  • Only use food-grade edible flowers from reputable sources—ornamental flowers from florists are often treated with chemicals that will make you sick, so don't take shortcuts here.
  • If your dough feels sticky, chill it for 15 minutes before rolling; cold dough is easier to work with and produces crisper, more defined shapes.
  • The cookies might seem soft when they come out of the oven, but they continue to set as they cool, so resist the urge to bake them longer.
03 -
  • Keep your butter softened but still cool to the touch—not melted or room temperature—because this makes the creaming process faster and the final cookies more tender.
  • If your egg white is too thick, add a tiny splash of water to thin it into a paintable consistency that won't gum up your brush.
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