Pinterest image cookies are exactly what they sound like: a plain, buttery shortbread canvas you decorate with edible ink and glossy royal icing so every square looks like a little picture. You get a crisp, sandy cookie with a soft vanilla finish, and the decorating takes minutes instead of hours.
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I started making these because I wanted a cookie that photographs as well as it tastes. Shortbread holds a sharp edge, so your drawn lines stay crisp, and it does not spread in the oven the way sugar cookies do. That means the shapes you cut are the shapes you serve.
You need about 15 minutes of hands-on work, 35 minutes in the oven, and zero special equipment beyond a ruler and a small piping bag. Let's make a batch that disappears before the photo does.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
Spoon flour into the cup and level it, or weigh it for the most consistent crumb. For a slightly nuttier cookie, swap 1/4 cup (30g) for cornstarch-free almond flour.
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
Fine white sugar dissolves fastest into the butter. If you only have coarse sugar, pulse it in a blender for 10 seconds first.
1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) unsalted butter, softened
Let it sit at room temperature 45 minutes; it should dent when pressed but not look greasy. Salted butter works too, just skip the added salt below.
1 large egg (50g), room temperature
A cold egg can make the dough look curdled, so set it in warm water for 5 minutes. No egg on hand? Use 3 tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream instead.
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Real extract beats imitation here because the flavor is the star. Almond extract is a lovely swap at half the amount, 3/4 teaspoon.
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
Fine table salt blends evenly; kosher salt crystals can leave salty pockets. If you used salted butter, drop this to 1/4 teaspoon.
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar plus 4 teaspoons milk, for icing
Whisk until thick and glossy like honey, then tint with gel food coloring. In a pinch, store-bought cookie icing in a squeeze tube works perfectly.
Edible food markers, for drawing
Look for markers labeled edible ink on the packaging, not just food-safe. Wilton and FooDoodler are the two brands I keep in my drawer.
Tips & Tricks
- Measure flour by weight if you can. One extra tablespoon of flour turns a tender shortbread into a dry, crumbly one, and a digital scale removes the guesswork completely.
- Press the dough into the pan with the flat bottom of a measuring cup. An even layer bakes evenly, so you never get pale corners and a dark center.
- Draw on fully cooled cookies only. Edible marker ink bleeds and feathers on warm shortbread, so give the squares a full 30 minutes on the rack.
- Keep royal icing thick. If it drips off a spoon in a thin stream, add powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until it holds a soft ribbon.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Preheat the oven to 325F (163C) and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. A lower oven temperature is what keeps shortbread pale gold instead of browned.
2. Cream butter and sugar
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once so no sugar streaks hide at the bottom.
3. Add egg and vanilla
Beat in the egg and vanilla for 30 seconds, just until combined. Overbeating at this stage whips in air and makes the baked squares puff unevenly.
4. Mix the dry team
Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl, then add it to the butter mixture on low speed. Stop the moment the flour disappears; the dough will look soft and slightly sticky.
5. Press and score
Scrape the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer with a measuring cup. Score into 24 squares with a bench scraper or knife, then chill 15 minutes.
6. Bake to pale gold
Bake at 325F (163C) for 32 to 35 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown and the center feels firm when pressed. If the top browns before 30 minutes, tent it loosely with foil.
7. Cool and cut
Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then lift the parchment onto a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Re-cut along your score lines with a sharp knife for clean edges.
8. Decorate your squares
Pipe thick icing outlines on each cookie, let them set 5 minutes, then flood the centers and draw with edible markers once the icing is dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. Work in small batches so the icing does not skin over in the bag.
Delicious Variations
Lemon Poppy Seed
Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 2 teaspoons poppy seeds to the dough, then tint the icing pale yellow.
Chocolate Dipped
Skip the icing and dip half of each cooled square in 6 ounces (170g) melted dark chocolate, then chill 10 minutes to set.
Brown Butter Version
Brown the butter first and cool it 20 minutes before creaming; the cookies taste deeper and slightly toffee-like.
How to Store Pinterest image
Refrigerator
Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week; refrigerate only if your kitchen is above 78F (26C), where icing can soften.
Freezer
Freeze undecorated baked squares in a zip-top bag with parchment between layers up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature 1 hour before decorating.
Reheating
No reheating needed. If the cookies soften, spread them on a sheet pan and warm at 300F (149C) for 4 minutes, then cool completely to crisp back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use a sugar cookie recipe instead of shortbread?
Yes, but expect more spread, so chill the cut dough 30 minutes before baking. Shortbread holds sharper edges, which is why it works best for drawn designs.
Q: What can I use if I do not have edible markers?
Thin royal icing in a piping bag with a number 2 tip draws just as well. Gel food coloring gives the most vivid lines without watering down the icing.
Q: Why did my shortbread spread in the pan?
The butter was too warm or the dough was not chilled. Press the dough in, chill 15 minutes, and bake at 325F (163C) rather than a higher temperature.
Q: How do I keep the icing from cracking when I cut the squares?
Cut the cookies before you decorate them, not after. Score the dough before baking, cut while barely warm, then ice the fully cooled squares.
Q: Are these cookies gluten free if I use gluten-free flour?
A 1-to-1 gluten-free blend works, but add 1 tablespoon milk because the dough runs drier. Skip almond or coconut flour, which will not hold the square shape.
Bake a batch this week, decorate a few squares with the kids, and save the rest for a quiet cup of tea. Start with just one tray and one simple design, then build from there. Small steps, big change.
Pinterest image
Pinterest image cookies are buttery shortbread squares painted with edible markers and icing, an easy 30-minute treat that looks as good as it tastes.
🧂 Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg (50g), room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar plus 4 teaspoons milk, for icing
- Edible food markers, for drawing
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Preheat the oven to 325F (163C) and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment, leaving an overhang on two sides. A lower oven temperature is what keeps shortbread pale gold instead of browned.
- 2Cream butter and sugar — Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes, until pale and fluffy. Scrape the bowl once so no sugar streaks hide at the bottom.
- 3Add egg and vanilla — Beat in the egg and vanilla for 30 seconds, just until combined. Overbeating at this stage whips in air and makes the baked squares puff unevenly.
- 4Mix the dry team — Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl, then add it to the butter mixture on low speed. Stop the moment the flour disappears; the dough will look soft and slightly sticky.
- 5Press and score — Scrape the dough into the pan and press it into an even layer with a measuring cup. Score into 24 squares with a bench scraper or knife, then chill 15 minutes.
- 6Bake to pale gold — Bake at 325F (163C) for 32 to 35 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown and the center feels firm when pressed. If the top browns before 30 minutes, tent it loosely with foil.
- 7Cool and cut — Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then lift the parchment onto a rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Re-cut along your score lines with a sharp knife for clean edges.
- 8Decorate your squares — Pipe thick icing outlines on each cookie, let them set 5 minutes, then flood the centers and draw with edible markers once the icing is dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. Work in small batches so the icing does not skin over in the bag.
