dried cranberry shortbread
 
dried cranberry shortbread

I made these cookies for my own wedding, and they were perfect: crumbly, sugary-light and happy inside.

ingredients:

  2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  1 ½ cups sifted confectioner's sugar
  2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
  ½ cup sifted corn starch or rice flour
  1 teaspoon salt
  1 cup whole dried cranberries

directions:

1. Heat oven to 325F with a rack in the centre. Whip butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a free-standing mixer. Add flour and cornstarch/rice flour and salt in batches and beat until all are combined, but not too creamy. Stir in cranberries.

2. Pat dough evenly into a 9" x 17" cookie tray. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack until cool enough to touch, about 15 minutes. Using a 1 ½" - 2" heart cookie cutter, cut out cookies, removing from cookie sheet and leaving to cool completely on cooling rack. Use a paring knife to trim stray bits of cranberry from edges.

3. Since the dough is cooked and you can't re-roll the stray bits, you'll just have to eat them...poor you.

after-thoughts:

· this is a double batch - the first time I made them (January, 2004), there just wasn't enough...a double batch is perfect! It makes about 3 dozen cookies

· cookies will keep for 5 - 7 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

· I have made these in the shape of stars and of hearts - they could be just about any easy-to-cut-out shape; squares, circles, bells, holly leaves...

· next time I am going to try adding a bit more dry ingredients and rolling the dough out, to use more and eat less of it...mmm...shortbread cookie bits...gimme!

recipe origin: Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe