How can a cookie with only 6 simple ingredients taste this good!!! Well, they’re not called Marvelous Melting Moments without good reason. One bite of these sweet temptations and, from the rich, tender crumb of the cookie, you’ll find they quickly melt in your mouth.
Made only with butter (absolutely no substitutions on this one), icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar), vanilla, flour, cornstarch, and salt, they’re easy to make and delightful to eat! And, they make wonderful gifts, too, and are also a special addition to any holiday sweet tray.
My mother always comments on how “short” these cookies are. “Shortness” in a cookie is characterized by the amount of fat and sugar present and the high ratio of butter to flour in the recipe. To get the high degree of tenderness that is the hallmark of a “short” cookie, a lot of butter is used in the dough and, the more fat content, the more tender and rich the cookie crumb will be.
It’s important that these cookies not be over-handled or over-mixed as they will become tough. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth then incorporate the dry ingredients. This cookie dough is too tender to roll out because it won’t hold together to cut shapes from so simply pinch off pieces of the dough and quickly form them into small balls. Don’t over-work them as the dough will become warm and, subsequently, sticky. As a mark of reference, I use about 5/8 oz of dough per ball. Now, I don’t stop and weigh the dough for each cookie because, from experience, I can “eyeball” how much dough is needed per cookie but it’s good to have a frame of reference as to the size of the cookie ball. Place the cookie balls on parchment-lined baking sheets. Use the tines of a fork to flatten the cookies and decorate each with a tiny bit of maraschino cherry, if desired.
These cookies freeze very well so they can be made well ahead and frozen until they are needed. Melting Moments are the perfect Christmas or anytime cookie!
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Melting Moments
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
½ cup sifted icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
Maraschino cherries for decorations (if desired)
Method:
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper
Cream butter. Add the icing sugar and cream well with the butter. Mix in vanilla.
In separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture and blend until well incorporated.
Form dough into small round balls (apx. 5/8 oz dough per ball). Place balls on prepared baking sheets and flatten each ball with the tines of a fork. Decorate with small bits of maraschino cherries, if desired.
Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes. Don’t over-bake cookies. Let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: Apx. 2½ dozen
Yield: Apx. 2 1/2 dozen
A delightful melt-in-your mouth shortbread-type cookie with a rich and tender crumb.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup sifted icing sugar (aka powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Maraschino cherries for decorations (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream butter. Add the icing sugar and cream well with the butter. Mix in vanilla.
- In separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture and blend until well incorporated.
- Form dough into small round balls (apx. 5/8 oz dough per ball). Place balls on prepared baking sheets and flatten each ball with the tines of a fork. Decorate with small bits of maraschino cherries, if desired.
- Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes. Don’t over-bake cookies. Let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
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For other similar cookie recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:
Scotch Cookies
Shortbread Custard Sandwich Cookies
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[This post was last updated November 17, 2023]
