With dark chocolate chip eyes and almond noses, these cinnamon shortbread owl cookies are super cute and very easy to decorate, no fancy tools required.
When I asked my 4-year-old what kind of animal he thought these cookies were, I kind of held my breath.
They’ve been on my to-bake list for years ever since I first spotted a version at a farmers market in London and was completely charmed by them.
I always love a shortbread cookie, and these took a little more effort than the typical one.
My son’s response meant a lot to me. He must have known because he said owl and gave me a big smile.
I’m not sure what I would have done if he didn’t recognize them. What a relief!
His opinion means a lot to me, and he’s not shy about sharing what he thinks.
A typical preschooler with no filter! What else should I expect?
With just a few decorations and scoring with a cookie cutter and fork, I had my cinnamon shortbread owl cookies.
First, I made the shortbread dough adding plenty of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
I chilled the dough in the fridge before rolling it out since shortbread dough is always so crumbly.
Once I rolled out the dough on a lightly floured work surface, I pressed down a round cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Then I used that same round cookie cutter to score the wings. For the eyes, I made small circles of dough topped each one with a chocolate chip. I pushed in almond noses and used a fork to press in the feet.
It also helps to chill the cookies before you bake them, so they hold their shape.
Shortbreads are buttery and somewhat basic cookies, but I say that with total affection for them. Adding different spices or even citrus zest gives them different personalities.
My little guy was absolutely delighted by the owl cookies. Now the pressure is on to come up with another animal cookie, cake or something else.
I don’t consider myself to be a decorative baker. I’m more of a drop cookie person, so I need to practice!
With dark chocolate chip eyes and almond noses, these cinnamon shortbread owl cookies are super cute and very easy to decorate, no fancy tools required.
Adorable, Paige and Will