These tender, buttery delights contain zero leavening. They would even pass, Passover muster!

1 cup softened butter

3/4 cups sifted, powdered sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup oats, quick or old-fashioned, not instant

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup 2% milk

Sprinkles, jimmies, or colored sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar, and vanilla till well combined and fluffy.

In seperate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and oats. Add the flour mixture to the butter and combine well.

With fingers, take about a half tablespoon of dough, and shape into a semblance of an ornament. You do not want round balls, so don’t roll the dough. Just shape it. Because of the oats, they will not be perfectly smooth. But that is part of real shortbread! 

Here you see my shaped cookies on an insulated cookied sheet lined with parchment paper. This method gives the most beautiful cooky bottoms you will ever see! 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until just the lightest golden brown at the edges. Be careful!  These can overbake very easily!  Remove from oven, cool on sheet for 4 minutes, then to wire rack to cool completely.

While cookies are cooling, assemble the fixings. I like to use a “Little Dipper,” that came with a big Crock Pot from Costco. I just put my chocolate in there, plug it is, and soon the chocolate is melted and stays warm the whole time! 

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Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the milk.

Dip the tops of the cookies into the warm chocolate, then into your choice of toppings. Return to wire rack and leave undisturbed till chocolate dries, about 1 hour.

These are completely delicious, melt in your mouth, buttery goodness, Christmas cookies! 

Happy homemaking!