Clementine shortbread cookies with brandy glaze arranged on a blue plate with fresh clementine zest.

Clementine brandy shortbread cookies are infused with bright citrus zest, a touch of honey, and a delicate hint of thyme, then finished with a silky brandy glaze. These festive holiday cookies are rich, crumbly, fragrant, and perfect for the holiday season.

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Clementine shortbread cookies with brandy glaze on a festive plate, one cookie broken to show the soft texture

Hey, folks – I hope you’re all doing well.

I’ve been working on a few citrus-forward ideas this season, and these cookies were such a pleasure to develop. The combination of bright clementine, a touch of honey, and just a hint of thyme brings a lovely seasonal depth, while the brandy glaze adds a smooth, festive finish. (Brandy makes everything better!) Altogether, they feel cheerful, fragrant, and beautifully suited for this time of year. So, let’s dive into these Clementine Brandy Shortbread Cookies.

Why You’ll Love These Clementine Brandy Shortbread Cookies

Festive and versatile. Lovely for gifting, holiday platters, or serving with tea.
Bright citrus flavour. Clementine zest and juice give these cookies a refreshing festive aroma.
Elegant brandy glaze. Adds warmth, depth, and a holiday-ready finish.
Balanced sweetness. Honey brings a soft floral note without making the cookies overly sweet.
Subtle thyme twist. Just enough herbal complexity to feel modern and sophisticated.
Perfect texture. Crisp edges with a tender shortbread crumb.

Flavour and Texture Profile

These cookies are crisp yet tender, with a delicate crumb typical of classic shortbread. Clementine zest provides a bright, sunny citrus note, while honey adds a gentle sweetness. The thyme is understated – more aromatic than herbal – and the brandy glaze brings everything together with a warm, festive finish. A beautifully balanced combination of citrusy, buttery, and slightly floral flavours.

Ingredients You’ll Need for This Recipe

To make these clementine brandy shortbread cookies, you’ll only need a handful of simple, flavour-rich ingredients:

Butter. The base of all good shortbread—rich and creamy.
Flour. Gives structure and that classic shortbread bite.
Cornstarch. Helps keep the cookies tender and slightly crumbly. Replace with more flour if don’t want to use it.
Sugar. For subtle sweetness.
Clementine zest. The main flavour – fragrant, bright, and festive.
Fresh thyme. Just a little for an aromatic, elegant twist.
Salt. To balance the sweetness and lift the citrus.
Icing sugar. For the smooth glaze consistency.
Clementine juice. Helps thin the glaze and reinforce the citrus flavour.
Brandy. Adds depth and holiday warmth to the glaze.
Honey. Used in the glaze for warm floral sweetness.

How to Make Clementine Brandy Shortbread Cookies

This recipe can be made in two ways: a classic mixer method that requires longer chilling, or a melted-butter method that comes together quickly with minimal resting time. Choose whichever suits your schedule.

For the mixer method, start with softened butter and beat it together with the sugar, honey, clementine zest, thyme, and a pinch of salt until smooth and lightly fluffy. Gently mix in the flour and cornstarch just until the dough begins to form, then wrap it and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes -or even longer – until slightly firm but still pliable. After chilling, the dough should roll easily; if it feels sticky, dust it lightly with flour, and if it seems too firm, let it warm briefly at room temperature. Roll out the dough, cut into shapes, or use cookie stamps, dusting both the dough and stamp with flour so the imprint releases cleanly.

For the no-mixer method, soften the butter in the microwave until very soft but not fully melted, then stir it together with the sugar, honey, clementine zest, thyme, and salt until well combined. Add the flour and cornstarch and mix until a soft dough forms. This version can be used right away, though giving it a short rest of about 10-15 minutes improves the texture. Once shaped, bake the cookies in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the edges are just lightly golden. When fully cooled, finish the cookies with a brandy glaze made by whisking together icing sugar, brandy, and a splash of clementine juice until thick but pourable, then spoon or drizzle it over the cookies and let it set before serving.

More Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes

If you enjoy these Clementine Shortbread Cookies with Brandy Glaze, you might also like:

I’d love for you to try these clementine brandy shortbread cookies. If you give this holiday cookie recipe a go, please share your results in the comments, message me on Instagram, or post your photos with the hashtag #havocinthekitchen. I look forward to seeing your creations and hearing your thoughts!

Cheers!

Clementine shortbread cookies with brandy glaze displayed on a plate with winter greenery and holiday décor.

Clementine Shortbread Cookies with Brandy Glaze

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Festive clementine brandy shortbread with a bright honey brandy glaze – buttery, aromatic, and perfect for holiday baking.

Course: Christmas Cookies, Cookies, ChristmasCuisine: European-inspiredDifficulty: Easy

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

18-24

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Chilling and Setting

1-2

hours

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

170 g (3/4 cup) butter, soften
185 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
you may need a little more for dusting
30 g (3 tbsp.) corn starch
or substitute for more flour
2 tbsp. (20 g) granulated or light-brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. (6-12 g) clementine zest, finely minced
a few thyme sprigs, leaves picked (about 1/4 tsp or more for a more pronounced savoury hint)
Glaze:
1 and 1/4 cup (about 150 g) icing sugar
1 tbsp. (20 g) honey
1 tbsp. (15 ml) brandy
1-2 tbsp. (15-30 ml) clementine juice

Directions

First Method (Requires Mixer and Longer Chilling):
For this method, you will need softened butter; just remove it from the fridge 1-2 hours prior baking. In a bowl, with a mixer cream the butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed, about 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in the flour and corn starch (if using) and mix until the mixture starts to remain dough.
Stir in the clementine zest and thyme; do not overmix. Wrap up in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 – preferably 60 minutes – or even longer. After chilling the dough should be pliable, moist, and slightly crumbly (yet easily coming together). You may need to dust it with some flour when rolling. If the dough is too firm and crumbly after chilling, let it stay 5-10 minutes at room temp.
Roll the dough out with a rolling-pin (if the dough feels too moist, sprinkle with a little flour). Cut cookies using cookie cutters.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 F). Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheets, allowing some space between each cookie.
Bake for about 10-14 minutes (depending on size and your preference) or until edges are slightly golden. If you prefer delicate, moist, and soft cookies, bake them less (10 minutes or so), depending on their size, thickness, and your oven. If you prefer them crisp and more browned, bake them for extra 2-3 minutes (up to 14 minutes) or so. Remove from the oven and let completely cool.
Second Method (No Mixer and Brief Chilling Required):
Cut the butter into few large pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for about 25-30 seconds or until very soft (partly melted); or melt a small saucepan over stovetop heat. It should not be completely melted, otherwise you may need to chill it longer.
Combine the soften butter with clementine zest, sugar, thyme, and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon for 40-60 seconds until well-incorporated.
Stir in the flour and starch and mix until remains dough; don’t overmix.
If the dough feels too sticky, dust with a little of flour. If it feels to crumbly / dry (that happens as density of ingredients could wary), you can fix it by stirring in a little more of melted butter or a splash of milk.
You do not need to refrigerate the dough, but if you have time, giving it 10-15 minutes of resting in the fridge will improve the texture even more – and also firms up the dough. If you plan to use cookie stamps, I recommend chilling for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C). Repeat steps 4 to 6 from the 1st method.
In a meantime, in a small bowl make the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, honey, brandy, and clementine juice. Adjust the consistency by adding more juice or/and liqueur – it should be quite thick but still spreadable (like honey which is not too runny). I found that the cookies were too delicate for dipping them, so instead I poured the glaze over the cookies with a small spoon then leveled the glaze with a knife. Let the cookies stay until the glaze is fully set – 30 to 60 minutes – then enjoy!