Mothers Day Floral Shortbread (Printable)

Buttery shortbread enhanced with edible flowers, creating an elegant and delicate sweet 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 such as rose petals, lavender, violets, or calendula
08 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the 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 and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.
05 - Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets.
06 - Lightly brush each cookie with egg white, gently press edible flowers onto surface, and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
07 - Bake for 16 to 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.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes, which means you can spend your real energy on making them look like gallery-worthy art.
  • Shortbread has this magical buttery crumb that dissolves on your tongue, and the flowers add this unexpected floral note that tastes like spring.
  • You can make them days ahead, so Mother's Day morning can be about the presentation, not the panic.
02 -
  • Overworking the dough creates tough cookies instead of tender ones; stir just until the flour disappears and stop immediately.
  • Room-temperature butter creams properly, but cold egg white actually helps flowers stick better, so keep yours chilled.
03 -
  • Keep everything cool—a cool bowl, cool hands, and cool ingredients mean the butter stays emulsified and the shortbread stays tender instead of greasy.
  • Use a bench scraper or flat spatula to lift delicate cookies off the baking sheet; they're fragile until completely cool.
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