Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies with Pressed Flowers

Spring is in the air, so we headed into the kitchen to whip up these Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies with Pressed Flowers. Made with our very own Peanut Butter Perfect Bar these cookies are the perfect way to kickstart the new season on a fresh and delicious foot.

They may look too pretty to eat, but you’ll quickly realize that they taste as good as they look! And don’t worry, the flowers are edible. Pair these cookies with a glass of iced tea or a side of fruit for an afternoon delight.

If you can part with just a few, these shortbread cookies also make for festive Spring treats for friends and neighbors.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 Peanut Butter Perfect Bar, room temperature
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup edible flowers for decorating, such as violas, pansies, nasturtiums, and blue borage
• Fine sanding or casting sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour and cornstarch together in medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, perfect bars, and salt. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and perfect bars together (like you mean it!) on high until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla to the butter mixture and beat on medium until just combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to chill for at least 10 minutes.
4. Remove the dough from the fridge and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out the dough to about a 1/2 inch thick and cut out the cookies with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Artfully place the flowers and petals on the cookies and press gently into the dough. The scraps of dough can be re-rolled out an infinite amount of times until all cookies are cut. Gently slide a metal spatula underneath each decorated cut-out and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spaced 1-inch apart.
5. Bake in the center rack for 8 to 10 minutes for soft cookies until the bottoms turn slightly golden. Remove from the oven and lightly sprinkle immediately with fine sanding sugar, if desired.
6. Cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

If you give this a try, don’t forget to share your Peanut Butter Shortbread Cookies with Pressed Flowers with us on social by tagging @perfectbar on Instagram and using #itsjustperfect. Happy Baking!

Shop our Peanut Butter Perfect Bar HERE.