Shortbread Cookies with Sea Buckthorn Glaze

Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies blend rich, buttery shortbread with a vibrant glaze that accentuates the bright tartness and citrus notes of sea buckthorn.

Hello, everyone! Wishing you a wonderful fall day.

Today, I’m excited to introduce a recipe ideal for early fall and spotlighting a lesser-known berry: brilliant sea buckthorn. Let’s explore these vibrant Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies!

But First, What Are Sea Buckthorns?

Many readers may be unfamiliar with sea buckthorn, especially since most of you are based in the USA and Canada.

Sea buckthorn is widely cultivated in many European countries, particularly along the Atlantic coasts, including the United Kingdom, France, and Scandinavia, as well as in numerous Asian countries. Additionally, over the past few decades, crops have been grown in some states of the United States (e.g., Nevada and Arizona) and certain provinces of Canada (e.g., Manitoba and Newfoundland).

Hippophae is the genus of sea buckthorns, deciduous shrubs in the Elaeagnaceae family. Alternate names include sea berry (especially common in North America), sandthorn, sallowthorn, and Siberian pineapple (a memorable name!). Unsurprisingly, these shrubs are well known for their thorns.

Sea Buckthorn’s Health Benefits

Sea buckthorn berries are potent “superfruits,” packed with antioxidants, omega fatty acids, essential amino acids, and plentiful vitamins (especially C, E, and A). They promote immune strength, cardiovascular health, and skin vitality, and are prized in many skincare formulas.

Sea Buckthorn Side Effects

Sea buckthorn is generally considered safe for most people, but it may cause digestive issues, such as:

• Heartburn or diarrhea, in some individuals.
• Allergic reactions, such as skin rashes.
• Sea buckthorn berries may increase the risk of bleeding due to their blood-thinning properties.
• Sea buckthorn may interact with medications that affect blood pressure or medications that thin the blood. Speak with your doctor if you are taking any of these medications before consuming sea buckthorn.

As always, thoroughly research and consult your physician to decide if sea buckthorns suit you.

Flavour Profile and Culinary Uses

Raw sea buckthorn berries deliver a robust, acidic, and astringent punch, thanks to high levels of malic and quinic acid. Their flavor evokes passionfruit, mango, pineapple, and citrus, and they pair superbly with honey and orange. Use sea buckthorn for dishes like:

• Refreshing Orange Sea Buckthorn Smoothie with Greek Yogurt and Banana
• Sea Buckthorn Tea Recipe (Seaberry Tea).
• Bright and vibrant Sea Buckthorn Jam.
• To make a luscious, tangy Sea Buckthorn Curd.
• To use for a beautiful autumn cocktail Orange Sea Buckthorn Cocktail.
• Or make a dessert for adults, Orange Sea Buckthorn Milkshake with Triple Sec.

Why You’ll Love These Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies

If you crave a cookie that’s both classic and distinct, these sea buckthorn shortbread cookies deliver. Classic buttery shortbread meets the lively, tart essence of sea buckthorn, resulting in a luxurious yet refreshingly bright treat. Sea buckthorn offers a unique balance—tangy, citrusy, and delicately sweet. That’s why this vivid glaze pairs beautifully with rich, buttery cookies.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies

To make these Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies, you will need the following ingredients:

• Butter – For the best shortbread texture and flavour, use high-quality European-style butter (higher fat). American-style butter also works.
• Sugar – I used powdered (icing) sugar for a delicate texture. I use less sugar for subtle sweetness, allowing the glaze or other additions to shine.
• All-purpose flour – The standard for shortbread; swap one or two tablespoons for cornstarch for a finer crumb and a tender texture.
• Salt – A pinch enhances sweetness and adds depth to flavor.
• Vanilla extract – Provides a warm, aromatic scent.
• Sea buckthorn – Used for glaze, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw).
• Icing sugar – For the glaze.

More Fun Fall Recipes

And be sure to check fun fall recipes:

• Maple Shortbread Cookies (With Luscious Maple Glaze)
• Rowan Berry Shortbread Cookies
• Lavender Maple Sautéed Apples (15-Minute Skillet Recipe)

I hope you enjoy these Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies and will give this recipe a try. If you try it, please let me know in the comment section below, send me an Instagram message, or share your photos by adding the hashtag #havocinthekitchen.

Cheers!

Shortbread Cookies with Sea Buckthorn Glaze

Recipe by Ben | Havocinthekitchen

Sea Buckthorn Shortbread Cookies blend rich, buttery shortbread with a vibrant glaze that accentuates the bright tartness and citrus notes of sea buckthorn.

Course: CookiesCuisine: Author’s RecipesDifficulty: Easy

5.0 from 3 votes

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Servings

18-24

servings

Prep time

1

hour 

Cooking time

45

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• Shortbread Cookies:

• 170 g. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, ideally European-style butter but good-quality American-style butter works just fine

• 200 g. (1 cup and 2 tbsp.) all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp. (30 g.) granulated sugar – you can use icing sugar for a more delicate texture

• a good pinch of salt

• 1 tsp. (5 ml.) vanilla extract, optional

• Sea Buckthorn Concentrate:

• 1 cup (about 150 g) sea buckthorns – frozen or fresh

• 1/3 cup (80 ml) water

• Sea Buckthorn Glaze:

• 1 cup (120 g) icing (powdered or confectioners’) sugar
  or slightly more

• 2 tbsp. (30 ml) Sea Buckthorn concentrate
  or slightly more

Directions

• Concentrate:
• Combine water with the sea buckthorns (don’t need to thaw if frozen) in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 7-10 minutes, mashing the berries to help them release juices. Off heat and let it cool completely. Pass the berries through a fine mesh sieve, using a spoon to release as much juices as possible then discard the solids. You will have about 1/2 cup of the concentrate. You will not need all of it; keep it in an air-tight container or jar and keep refrigerated for up to a few days and use for other recipes, like Orange Sea Buckthorn Cocktail or Orange Sea Buckthorn Milkshake with Triple Sec
• Cookies:
• Cut the butter into a few large pieces, place in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat for about 25-30 seconds or until very soft (partly melted); or melt in a small saucepan over stovetop heat. It should not be completely melted.
• Combine the softened butter with the sugar, vanilla extract (if using), and salt. Beat with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until well-incorporated.
• Stir in the flour and mix until it remains dough; don’t overmix. If the dough looks a little too dry or crumbly (that happens as the density of ingredients could vary), you can easily fix it by adding a little (1-2 tsp. or 5-10 ml.) of melted butter, milk, or even cold water.
• While this dough does not require long chilling, I suggest letting it rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes as it helps gluten start working and, hence, improve the texture. This also helps when the dough feels a bit too sticky to touch – don’t add extra flour and instead chill a little.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (~175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the dough out with a rolling pin (if the dough feels too moist, sprinkle the surface and the dough with a little flour; just don’t use too much as cookies could turn tougher.) Cut cookies using cookie cutters or simply with a knife; the diameter of my cookies is slightly larger than Oreo cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake for about 9-12 minutes (depending on size and your preference) or until the edges are slightly golden. If you prefer delicate, moist, and soft cookies, bake them about 10 minutes; if you prefer them crisp and more browned, bake them for extra 2 minutes or so. Just keep in mind that even when the cookies are out of the oven, they will continue baking thanks to the residual heat. So it’s always better to bake them a little less than a little too long. Remove from oven and completely cool.
• Glaze:
• While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze by combining the icing sugar and concentrate. Start with 2 tbsp. (30 ml) of the concentrate to 1 cup of icing sugar, gradually whisking until smooth and reached the desired consistency; add more concentrate and powdered sugar as needed. The glaze should be quite thick yet pourable and spreadable.
• Dip the cookies to glaze and shake off the excess of it. Arrange the cookies on a baking rack. Let the glaze fully set for about 30 minutes and enjoy the cookies!