Shortbread Hammer Placecards

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 24 cookies
  • Total: 1 hr 5 min
  • Prep: 10 min
  • Inactive: 30 min
  • Cook: 25 min
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Ingredients

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar, plus extra, for sprinkling

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more, for dusting

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the icing:

1 pound confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar on low speed until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. 
  3. Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 4 1/2-inch hammer-shaped cutter. Place the hammer cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. 
  4. For the icing, combine the confectioners' sugar and corn syrup in a bowl with a wire whisk until it is a thick paste. Gradually add enough lemon juice until the mixture is a good consistency for piping. 
  5. With an extra fine pastry tip, pipe individual names on the hammer cookies. Let the icing set before serving.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Rhonda Nance

These are wonderful cookies. I make them for party favors and special events. They get rave reviews. The lemon in the icing makes and completes the overall flavor but also keeps the cookies from drying out. They will last a week or so easily. Refrigeration before cooking is key to keeping their shape while baking. Use good butter and vanilla for sure. Measure correctly by scooping and evening off. I like them on the thicker side so monitor the bake time visually till there are barely barely lightly browned. Never assume the bake time from the recipe is going to be the same in your oven. Use common sense and monitor the first batch closely to get the cooking time that works with your oven. I still always do that with every recipe and I’m a seasoned baker. <br /><br />I also believe refrigerating the dough before rolling out helps the dough hydrate fully and develops good texture and flavor. Makes it easier to handle but you do have to let it warm in the room just a bit to roll. Gets quite hard. Highly recommend and I’ve shared this recipe with many. Love them.

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