Pink Dragon Fruit Shortbread

Photo of completed Pink Dragon Fruit Shortbread

Introducing a vibrant twist on a timeless favorite with our Pink Dragon Fruit Shortbread recipe! Bursting with exotic flavor and a stunning hue, every bite offers a delightful balance of buttery richness and subtle fruity notes. Crowned with Maynards Swedish Berries Creme chewy candy, these cookies become an irresistible treat suitable for Valentine’s Day or any celebration. These Pink Dragon Fruit Shortbread cookies are sure to add a touch of tropical charm to your baking repertoire.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tablespoon Fresh Pink Dragon Fruit Puree
  • 1 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
  • ½ Cups Cornstarch
  • ½ Cup Salted Butter (Room temperature)
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Cup Powdered/Icing Sugar (We used ¾ cup for less sweetness)
  • ¼ Teaspoon Salt (If using unsalted butter)

Other Ingredients:

  • 1 Pack Maynard Candy (-/+ adjustable)
  • ¼ Cup Melted Pink Candy Melts (-/+ adjustable)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare some dragon fruit chunks, blend them into a puree, and set aside.
  2. Add butter and sift powdered/icing sugar into a stand mixer bowl or handheld mixer bowl.
  3. Mix on low to medium-low until just combined.
  4. Stop the mixer and add vanilla extract, salt (if using unsalted butter), and fresh pink dragon fruit puree.
  5. Turn on the mixer and mix on low for a few seconds or until everything is just combined.
  6. Stop the mixer. Sift cornstarch and flour into the mixer bowl or handheld mixer bowl.
  7. Continue to mix on medium-low to medium until everything is just combined into a dough. Remember to scrape down the sides once in a while.
  8. Roll them up into a big ball as shown and wrap them up with cling wrap.
  9. Refrigerate the dough overnight in the fridge.
  10. On the day of baking, prepare the baking sheet.
  11. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F.
  12. Transfer the overnight chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface.
  13. Dust some flour on your palms for easy handling. Do this if necessary during the entire process session.
  14. You can divide or roll them into your desired size. We used a tablespoon of a baking measuring spoon.
  15. Roll each piece of dough into a ball, then repeat the process with the remaining dough.
  16. Slightly press them down with flat bottom glass to form a thick disc.
  17. With the bottom of a silicone spoon, make a dent in the center as shown in the video demonstration.
  18. Repeat the same process with the remaining dough.
  19. Bake at 340 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until the cookie top looks set and slightly brown on the edges. Note that this temperature and time are based on our oven. Please adjust the time and temperature of your oven accordingly because all ovens work differently.
  20. Remove the cookies from the oven, and do not try to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack right away. They are fragile and will harden as they cool down. Let them sit on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes or so.
  21. Carefully transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  22. While waiting, let’s prepare to melt some pink candy melts. You can melt them in a microwave or a double boiler.
  23. Transfer the melted pink chocolate to a piping bag. Alternatively, you can use a ziplock bag and make a tiny snip on one of the corner edges.
  24. Randomly drizzle the melted pink chocolate all over the cookies as shown.
  25. Place one Maynard’s candy on top as shown. Make sure to work fast before the chocolate sets.
  26. Repeat the process with the remaining cookies.
  27. Let the candy set and dry completely before storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, in the fridge for up to 10 days.
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Tips & Notes:

  1. We used salted butter, but you can use unsalted butter if you want. Simply add salt in the mixing process.
  2. You can use fresh pink dragon fruit, frozen dragon fruit chunks, as well as pink dragon fruit powder.
  3. We used fresh pink dragon fruit to make them into purée, but you can use 1 teaspoon of pink dragon fruit powder. Any extra dragon fruit we ate as it is, since we don’t need more to make these cookies. Nothing goes to waste.
  4. You won’t taste dragon fruit in this shortbread since we only used a little bit. They are more like melt-in-mouth, buttery-rich cookies.
  5. We used ¾ cup of powdered sugar. But if you prefer a sweeter shortbread, use 1 cup.
  6. We got this Maynards candy from Amazon.
  7. If the dough is too soft to work with, you can use additional flour sparingly to prevent sticking and make it easier to work with. Don’t overdo it. The dough is meant to be soft since we are not cutting it up, but simply rolling it into round balls or round shapes, similar to drop cookies.
  8. We divided the size of the dough with a baking measuring spoon. You can roll them into your desired size.
  9. We worked with half the dough, and the other half we kept in the fridge as we worked on the first batch.
  10. Please note that the temperature and time above are based on our oven. All ovens work differently, so please adjust the time and temperature of your oven accordingly.
  11. Freshly baked cookies are soft and fragile, and they will harden as they cool. Let them sit on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes or so before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  12. You can store the decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week or in the fridge for up to 10 days.
  13. The shortbread dough can be prepared ahead of time and kept well in the freezer for up to 2 months if stored properly. Simply thaw them overnight in the fridge a day before your baking day.
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