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Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies

Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies

One of the best things about Easter is that there is lots of specialty candy available and most of it is on sale. I don’t mind having egg-shaped versions of some of my favorite candies for a couple of weeks after the holiday – or before the holiday, for that matter. I picked up a bag of Reese’s Pieces Eggs, which I like for their peanut buttery filling and colorful, shiny shells, and used them to top of these simple shortbread cookies.

The cookies are easy to make and the brightly colored eggs give them a really festive look for, say, an Easter brunch. The shortbread recipe is one I wrote down in my recipe book some time ago, and it originally came from a package of Land o’ Lakes butter. Once the dough is made, it should be chilled for a little while because it will be easier to handle and shape the balls of dough. Each dough ball is pressed down with a finger (creating a fingerprint that ends up looking a little bit like a nest for the eggs) and slightly chilled dough will also hold the shape of the fingerprint much better than unchilled dough once it gets into the oven.

When it comes to candies, the brighter the colors are, the better; they really stand out on the pale shortbread base. I would strongly recommend sticking to hard-shelled candies – whether they are chocolate-filled, peanut butter-filled, nut-filled or anything else – even though the candies are added on after the cookies come out of the oven. The reason for this is that the candies still have to be placed on top of very hot cookie dough for them to stick, and an unprotected candy will simply not hold up as well. It will still taste yummy, of course, but it may look a little bit messy!

Easter Egg Shortbread Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
hard-shell candy eggs (chocolate, pb, etc.)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Blend in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, mix in flour and salt. Dough will first be crumbly, but will come together as you continue to mix (about 1-2 minutes). Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Break dough up using a spoon and, rolling dough between your palms, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet. Press a fingertip into each cookie to create a small indentation on the top.
Bake for 14-16 minutes, until cookies are set but not browned.
Immediately after taking cookies out of the oven, press 1-2 hard shelled easter egg candies into the center (the fingerprint). Cool cookies on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

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22 Comments
  • StuffCooksWant
    April 1, 2009

    Those look so festive! They would be so cute served on a bed of easter grass. Hmmmmm, peanut butter. Goes nicely on chocolate…how about slapping those Reese’s Pieces eggs on a chocolate cookie….my mind is wandering. Thanks for the idea!

  • Kerstin
    April 1, 2009

    Very cute! This reminds me that I need to pick up some Easter candy!

  • Elyse
    April 1, 2009

    I’m all for the candy sales at Easter time. These cookies look so wonderfully festive. There’s something so happy about pastels. And I always love a good shortbread cookie!

  • Baking Monster
    April 1, 2009

    That looks so cute and it also looks super easy, great idea.

  • Eliana
    April 1, 2009

    These look so festive and so easy to make. Thanks for sharing.

  • Cooking Games
    April 1, 2009

    Perfect for the holiday. Kids would love it. Thanks for the idea.

  • Easter Chocolate
    April 1, 2009

    This sounds so easy. I can’t wait. Thank you so much for the information.

  • elizabeth
    April 2, 2009

    I KNEW you would save the day…no cornstarch to be found where I am living, and every shortbread recipe appearing these days lists it as an ingredient. I am SO making these this weekend! Thank you!

  • Erin
    April 2, 2009

    Those peanut butter eggs would be the complete and utter downfall of me, but I think it would be worth it.

  • Juliana
    April 2, 2009

    Such a great idea…perfect for the coming holiday! Thanks!

  • Alisa - Frugal Foodie
    April 2, 2009

    Those cookies look so enticing and festive!

  • Mama JJ
    April 2, 2009

    The chocoloate kisses on peanut butter blossoms (peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s kiss stuck on top after baking) retain their shape beautifully, as do chocolate disks—just an observation…

  • snookydoodle
    April 2, 2009

    How nice! I like these cookies ๐Ÿ™‚

  • jennie
    April 4, 2009

    They’re so cute! My kids will love this. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  • Traktori
    April 7, 2009

    smells really great and good idea to pampaer again my kids.

  • Martha
    April 9, 2009

    What a festive yet easy Easter Cookie! This gives me the perfect excuse to buy another bag of my favorite Easter candy – Cadbury mini eggs – which are available in dark chocolate this year.

  • Haley
    April 11, 2009

    These are wonderful! I’m about to make my second batch to give out to the neighbors. I used peanut M&M’s.

  • Tamie
    April 1, 2010

    Thanks! We made these tonight and they are so cute, not to mention very easy and the kids were able to help out a lot. We’ll be taking them to grandma & grandpa’s house for Easter!

  • Julene
    April 8, 2012

    I used the Cadbury Mini eggs (the ones with the hard shell) and I baked it in a mini muffin tin and they turned out amazing!!! I am now going to try it with the mini cadbury creme eggs and see how that turns out.

    Thanks for the recipe, I love it!

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