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a small bite sized sourdough shortbread tea cookie with pink icing on a white and blue plate

Sourdough Shortbread Tea Cookies

These Sourdough Shortbread Thumbprint Cookies (also known as Tea Cookies) are buttery, tender shortbread cookies with a sweet dollop of vanilla icing. A nostalgic treat made with sourdough discard—perfect for parties, holidays, or gifting, and easy to freeze or make ahead.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 2 sticks / 226 g salted butter, softened
  • ½ cup 60 g confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1¾ cups 210 g all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup 60 g sourdough discard (100% hydration, recently fed but not overly sour)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Optional: up to 2 Tbsp extra flour if dough feels sticky

Icing:

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch salt
  • Optional: Food coloring or sprinkles for decoration

Instructions

Cream Butter and Sugar

  • In a large bowl, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.

Add Flavor and Discard

  • Mix in vanilla extract and sourdough discard until smooth and creamy.

Add Dry Ingredients

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Gradually mix into the wet ingredients until a soft dough forms. If dough feels too sticky, add up to 2 extra tablespoons of flour.

Chill

  • Wrap dough in parchment paper or cover in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 3 days). This step is essential for easy shaping and perfect texture.

Shape

  • Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Use your thumb or the back of a spoon handle to create a shallow indentation in each cookie.

Bake

  • Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes, until edges are just set and bottoms are barely golden. The tops should remain pale and soft.

Cool & Fill

  • Allow cookies to cool completely before filling the centers with icing.

For the Icing:

  • Mix together the icing ingredients with an electric mixer until a smooth icing forms. Use food dye to color as desired.

Notes

Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If frosted, layer cookies between sheets of parchment to prevent sticking.