lorna’s peppermint stars

My peppermint version of shortbread is cut into stars and decorated with your choice of sugars, more crushed peppermint candies, or maybe a sweet glaze or snazzy drizzle of your own device. Named for my mother-in-law, who adores peppermint anything, these simple sweets are especially great to bake with kids. No peppermint extract? Use a whole teaspoon of vanilla extract in place of the ¾ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon peppermint.

Makes 5 dozen 2-inch cookies

Ingredients

¾ pound salted butter-softened (3 sticks)
¾ cup white granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
3 ½ cups all purpose, unbleached flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup crushed peppermint candy or candy canes plus more for decorating*
Sparkling, sanding, or granulated sugar for decorating

Instructions

Beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and extracts with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add the flour and salt and mix until the dough just starts to come together, sprinkling in the crushed peppermints toward the end. Turn out onto a counter sprinkled lightly with flour and bring the dough together into a ball with your hands. Flatten it into a disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a half hour or longer. (If longer, you may need to let the dough sit a while at room temperature before rolling. If very cold, you may need to knead the dough a bit and/or pinch together cracks in dough as you roll. They'll still work just fine.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place rack at center.
Divide the dough into 4 or more pieces and roll each into ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into stars with a 2-inch star cookie cutter. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar or additional crushed peppermint candies and pat decorations into cookies very gently. Bake for 8-10 minutes OR until barely golden on bottom.
Remove cookie sheets to a cooling rack and let sit a minute or two before removing cookies to the rack to cool completely. If baking more than one sheet of cookies at a time, rotate cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time.
Glazing or drizzling? Make sure the baked cookies are first totally cool after baking. Once you've added the glaze or drizzle, let them dry completely on racks before storing carefully in single layers or between layers of waxed paper.

Notes

COOK’S NOTES: Inspired by Ina Garten’s shortbread, the recipe for which came from Eli Zabar, NYC. * Crush peppermint candies in a closed gallon freezer bag using a rolling pin, meat mallet, or small hammer. Copyright Alyce Morgan, 2020. All rights reserved.