Happy 2020! I am delighted to kick off a brand-new year and decade with these bewitching Panettone Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate Citrus Glaze! The texture is pure shortbread, melt-in-your-mouth tender, but with a burst of the traditional flavors of panettone, the Artist’s favorite holiday Italian bread. They are finished off with a bright citrus/white chocolate glaze. Beware, you won’t stop at just one!
If you have ever been to Italy or been lucky enough to have an Italian bakery in your neighborhood, you know that there is an elusive, captivating aroma in many of their baked goods. It is like vanilla on steroids, with hints of citrus. Until recently I thought I was going to have to buy a ticket and fly all the way across the pond to find the source of this elixir.
Enter King Arthur Flour, one of my favorite companies. If you are a baker, love employee-owned companies, treasure tradition, and love to support American businesses, King Arthur is what you’ve been looking for!
Freshly glazed warm cookies
Along with some of the best flours in the country, they also sell kitchen tools and equipment, luscious ingredients, bulk items, and some hard to find items. One of those is a flavoring called Fiori di Sicilia, the same thing that Italians use to scent their panettone and pandoro. The closest description I can come up with is a cross between vanilla and citrus with floral overtones. A bit like the allure of rose water in Middle Eastern recipes.
When you combine King Arthur’s Fiori di Sicilia and European Candied Mixed Peel (a blend of lemon, orange, and citron) you have the quintessential panettone power duo. I used both of these to create the Panettone Bread in our book, The Gluten-Free Bread Machine Cookbook, not surprisingly one of The Artist’s favorite breads. And today I took them in a different direction.
I have made a lovely panettone biscotti that uses ground almonds for a luscious nutty bite, but this time I wanted to try the same flavors in a shortbread cookie. I love the slightly sandy texture and not too sweet flavor of shortbread – especially when it is made with European butter like my personal favorite, Kerrygold!
The final component of these cookies is a bright citrus/white chocolate glaze that adds just the right amount of sweetness and pop of flavor making them the perfect finish to any meal, treats for parties, and snacks any time of the day. The cookies are delicious on their own, but this glaze makes them truly special.
I hope you enjoy these Panettone Shortbread Cookies – what a great way to begin the new year!
Happy New Year!
How to make Panettone Shortbread Cookies:
- Whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and salt
- Beat the butter until lightened and fluffy, then beat in the sugar and dry ingredients with the water
- Add the flavorings and chopped candied fruits; mix until smooth
- Scoop the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool
- Melt the white chocolate and mix with the powdered sugar and citrus juice until it reaches a good glaze consistency
- Drizzle glaze over the tops of the cookies
How to make a piping bag:
Transfer the glaze to a plastic bag, pressing it into one corner. Twist the top of the bag closed, and holding the glaze-filled corner facing up, snip off a tiny bit of the corner of the bag with scissors to make a very small hole. Try drizzling a little of the glaze on a plate or parchment, and if needed cut the hole a little bigger.
PRO Tip:
You definitely need a strong stand mixer to make this cookie dough – it is heavy and could pose trouble for lighter mixers. If you prefer you can mix the fruits in by hand.
Key Ingredients for this Recipe
- Candied citrus peels
- Cornstarch
- Flour or gluten-free flour blend
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Fiori di Sicilia (from King Arthur Flour) and vanilla
- White chocolate
- Citrus juice, such as lemon, orange, lime or a blend
Kitchen Tools I Use to Make This Recipe (affiliate links)
- Silpats or parchment sheets
- Baking sheets
- Chef’s knife
- Heavy-duty stand mixer
- Spring-loaded ice cream scoop
- Mixing bowls
Gluten-Free Tips:
Gluten-free flour blends may need a bit more water than regular flour due to their hygroscopic properties. Add enough to make a dough that cleans the sides of the bowl and is a bit creamy, but be careful not to add too much or you may drastically change the texture.
Panettone Shortbread Cookies with White Chocolate-Citrus Glaze (Gluten-Free)
These cookies have the melt-in-your-mouth texture of shortbread with the flavors of Panettone bread. The flavoring called Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur Flour will immediately remind you of the scent of traditional Italian sweets.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1-1/2 cups (roughly 240g) “European Candied Mixed Peel” from King Arthur Flour or mixed candied lemon, orange, and citron fruit peels
- 2-1/4 cups (288g) cornstarch
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend + 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1-1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (if using salted butter, omit salt)
- 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup water, plus more if needed *
- 1/4 tsp Fiori di Sicilia (from King Arthur Flour)
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Citrus-White Chocolate Glaze
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1-1/2 (187g) cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp citrus juice, such as lemon, orange, lime, or a blend
- Water, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment sheets or Silpats. Beside the stove, set wire cooling racks over sheets of waxed paper or parchment (this is where you will glaze the cookies). Chop the candied peel finely with a sharp knife. Set aside.
- Prepare theCookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and lightened. Add the sugar and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions alternating with the water, mixing until smooth after each addition. Then add the flavorings and chopped fruits. Add more water if needed, you are looking for a heavy dough that cleans the sides of the bowl as it mixes with no dry ingredients left at the bottom of the bowl. *
- Using a small spring-loaded ice cream scoop, form dough balls (about the size of a walnut) and place 1-1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Using the bottom of a wet glass, flatten each ball into a disk about 1/4-inch thick.
- Bake theCookies: Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, spinning the sheets halfway through baking. The cookies will be lightly golden at the bottom and edges. Transfer to the cooling racks with the parchment under them.
- Make theGlaze: In a 1-quart microwave-safe bowl, place the butter and white chocolate. Cook in bursts of 15 seconds, stirring after each heating, until the chocolate is melted. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Add the citrus juice and whisk together until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if too thin, more juice if too thick.
- Transfer to a plastic bag, pressing it into one corner. Twist the top of the bag closed, and holding the glaze-filled corner facing up, snip off a tiny bit of the corner of the bag to make a very small hole.
- Drizzle over the tops of the cookies while they are still warm. If needed you can scrape whatever glaze drops onto the paper below back into the bowl, heat for about 5 seconds in the microwave and continue glazing.
- MAKE AHEAD: Divide the dough into two or three pieces, placing each on a sheet of parchment paper. Using the paper to help you, form into a log. Wrap with the parchment and twist the ends closed. Repeat with remaining dough. Write baking directions on the outside of parchment and wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then place in the freezer to firm up, for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. These logs make wonderful hostess gifts! Be sure to include the name and baking directions.
- * You want a dough that is moist enough to easily hold together and not crumbly. Add as much water as you need - it will vary by the day due to weather, etc.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
72Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 1g
If you love this recipe, be sure to follow me on social media so you never miss a post:
| Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter |
Create a New Tradition Today!
First Published: 2 Jan 2017
Last Updated: 13 Jan 2020
Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. This page may contain affiliate links.
