Vanilla hibiscus shortbread cookies are infused with dried hibiscus flowers, and have a sweet vanilla glaze.
Each of the hibiscus cookies have sprinkled chopped up hibiscus flowers on top of them that adhere to the glaze, making them look irresistable!
Hibiscus shortbread cookies are buttery and creamy. You can use vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract to a hint of vanilla aroma to your hibiscus cookies.
Shortbread cookies need to have a couple of holes poked into the cookie.
The holes allow heat to escape the cookie, giving you an evenly baked cookie.
If you forget to poke holes in your shortbread, the cookies can have uneven baking and may look a little discolored.
Vanilla Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies
How to make hibiscus cookies with a vanilla glaze
Yield: 25 cookies
Materials
Vanilla Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup butter unsalted, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers chopped finely
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers chopped finely
Instructions
Vanilla Hibiscus Shortbread Cookies
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add 1 cup room temperature butter and chopped up 1 1/2 tbsp dried hibiscus. On low speed, beat for a 30 seconds for the hibiscus to infuse into the butter.
- Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/4 tsp salt and beat for a couple of minutes.
- Add 2 cups of flour and beat on low speed until it's almost mixed through. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the dough as needed to completely incorporate all of the flour. Beat until the flour is mixed in.
- Form the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough until it's 1/4" thickness.
- Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes of dough and place them on a baking sheet. Form the dough back into a ball and roll out again to make more cookies until the dough is almost gone. (3 times of rolling out the dough is enough) Throw away any excess dough.
- Using a fork, gently poke each of the cookies 2 times with a fork in the middle of the cookie. Poking holes in the cookies allows them to evenly bake, and for steam to release from the cookie as it bakes.
- Bake cookies for 15-16 minutes at 300 degrees F. Shortbread cookies are a pale color, and the bottom will just barely be turning brown when they are finished cooking. Cool on a cooling rack.
Vanilla Glaze
- In a large bowl (you'll want it to have a flat bottom, it'll be much bigger than the glaze needs – this is for easy dipping for your cookies!), combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp water and whisk until it's fully combined. You don't want any lumps of powdered sugar – make sure to whisk vigorously to remove the lumps.
- Chop up 1/4 cup of hibiscus flowers and leave them on your cutting board.
- Place a layer of parchment paper on the countertop – this will be where you'll put your cookies on to dry.
- When your cookies have fully cooled to room temperature, dip them in the glaze, and let the excess glaze fall back into the bowl. Turn the cookie right side up, and place on parchment paper. Dip about 3-4 cookies at a time.
- Before the glaze dries, sprinkle a few of the hibiscus flowers onto the cookies and let them dry for 1 hour.
- Repeat dipping the cookies in glaze and sprinkling the hibiscus flowers until all of the cookies are glazed.
- Store cookies at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
