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The Reddit-famous whipped shortbread 'Alice Cookies' are a buttery delight

Sarah Conklin came across a recipe for "Alice Cookies" written on an index card and tucked inside of an old cookbook.
Every buttery bite of these cookies was worth it.
Every buttery bite of these cookies was worth it.Terri Peters/ Sarah Conklin
/ Source: TODAY

The heavenly melt-in-your-mouth first bite of a shortbread cookie is a beautiful thing.

Sarah Conklin discovered this firsthand after she came across a recipe for "Alice Cookies" written on an index card and tucked inside of an old cookbook she'd recently obtained for her collection.

The cookies, which Conklin believes were named after the woman who baked them, are a version of a light, airy whipped shortbread, made from brown and white sugar, an egg yolk, flour and lots of butter.

Conklin shared the cookie recipe in the trusty Old_Recipes subreddit after reading a TODAY Food story about lemon bars that were found in the group.

"I made them straight away and followed the recipe to a T," Conklin, who lives in Rhode Island, told TODAY. "They were delicious and I easily ate them up within a couple days, although my husband and children helped, too. They are going into my Christmas cookie collection."

The original recipe calls for each cookie to be topped with a piece of walnut, but other members of the subreddit have tried different toppings as well, all with similarly delicious results.

Alice Cookies are a whipped shortbread made with lots of butter.
Alice Cookies are a whipped shortbread made with lots of butter.Terri Peters/TODAY

Conklin is here for every variation of the buttery recipe.

"With the Alice Cookies, you can get a little creative with the topping," she said. "I added walnuts like the recipe calls for, but I can see these being great with a chocolate kiss, cherry, pecans or even just some sugar sprinkled over it."

While Conklin isn't sure who Alice is, she knows she must have been special to have a cookie named after her.
While Conklin isn't sure who Alice is, she knows she must have been special to have a cookie named after her.Terri Peters/TODAY

I tried making Alice Cookies in my own kitchen and was thrilled with the results. I may have eaten five cookies for breakfast, but I felt it was important to try them in all forms: fresh from the oven, a few minutes after cooling, completely cooled — for research purposes, of course.

Every buttery bite of these cookies was worth it, and, like Conklin, they'll be added to my rotation of go-to cookie recipes.

The buttery cookies are similar to a whipped shortbread.
The buttery cookies are similar to a whipped shortbread.Terri Peters/TODAY

As for the woman who created the baked treats, she remains a mystery.

"Unfortunately I do not know anything about Alice," said Conklin, "but clearly she was worthy of having a cookie named after her, so we know she is fabulous."