Description
These autumn leaf shortbread cookies are made with a classic vanilla shortbread base — buttery, crisp, and melt-in-your-mouth. Dyed in warm fall shades and cut into leaf shapes, they’re a simple yet beautiful way to celebrate the cozy autumn season.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 160 g unsalted butter, softened
- 80 g icing sugar, sifted
- 225 g all purpose flour, sifted
- 15 g cornflour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- gel food colouring (Egg Yellow, Gold, Ivory, Tulip Red, Warm Brown, Forest Green)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the softened butter and icing sugar together using a silicone spatula until well combined.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and beat at medium speed until the mix becomes creamy.
- Place a sieve on top of the mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cornflour, and salt. Use a spatula to mix gently until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into 5 portions — one for each colour. Leave one plain, then tint the others with gel food colouring in yellow, burnt orange, green, and brown (or other colours of your choice). Mix gently to avoid overworking.
- Wrap each coloured portion in cling film and chill until firm.
- To create the dough mosaic block: break the chilled portions into smaller pieces onto a sheet of parchment paper. Gently press them together to form a colourful dough mosaic.
- Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and roll out the dough to about 6 mm thickness.
- Use your finger to gently “mud” the edges together, blending the colours slightly to create soft, natural lines. If the dough turns soft at any point, lift up the dough by holding the parchment paper and place the dough onto a baking sheet. Chill it until firm.
- Use leaf-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Gently drag a sculpting tool (I use a silicone pen) to mimic the leaf veins for added detail.
- Chill the shaped cookies for about 15 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and prevent spreading.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee — a perfect autumn treat!
Notes
- Read the post to see how I create this cozy autumn palette using a combination of gel food colourings.
- Feel free to experiment — just remember that the baking time may vary depending on the thickness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 97 kcal
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 61mg
- Fat: 4.5g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12.6g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1.4g
- Cholesterol: 8mg