Citrus Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

November 9, 2016

Snowvillage Inn,

Citrus Cranberry Shortbread Cookies are pictured here with Dark Chocolate Peppermint Brownies.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 ½ tablespoons grated orange zest
1 cup minced dried cranberries

For decorating:
2 cups white chocolate
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and confectioner’s sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the cranberries; mixing just enough to evenly combine.

Divide the dough into two equal portions, and roll into logs about 7 inches long. Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°

Remove wax paper and cut the cookie dough into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until light brown around the edges.

For decorating: On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, place the baked and cooled cookies in rows. Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream in a double boiler. When it is smooth, drizzle ribbons of melted white chocolate back and forth over the cookies making a pretty pattern. Dot the white chocolate stripes here and there with dried cranberries.