Merry Shortbread!

Orange Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread.

I told you I had a thing for shortbread. While nibbling any cookie, I think to myself, "You know what would make this even better? More butter and a touch of salt!" In my mind, chocolate chip cookies would be better as crispy shortbread. Oatmeal cookies would taste better if they had more butter and less (meaning NO) eggs. Macaroons...yep, they are in desperate need of butter.

You can't blame me for going a little overboard on the butter cookies this time of year! After all, I was programmed to desire them once the weather turns cold. Come December 1st, I start checking the mailbox  for those metal tins of shortbread rings with course sugar crystals on top. Surely someone will send me one!

As I set off to bake the masses of Christmas cookies we will deliver to our friends this year, I have one single agenda--turn them ALL into shortbread!

You think I'm kidding...

Here's another favorite shortbread recipe, prepared in the traditional pan method. I've ramped them up a bit by adding orange zest, mini chocolate chips, and cranberries! We tried several combinations one day, and this was the standout! I hope you enjoy them. If not, send them to me!

Merry Shortbread Christmas!
Sommer 

Orange Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread

½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. orange zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup chopped dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar vanilla and orange zest until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt. Beat until just combined.

Then add the chocolate chips and cranberries.

Divide the dough until two pieces. Press them evenly into 2- 8 inch round cake pans. Bake for 11-12 minutes—until golden around the edges.

With a small sharp knife, score the shortbread into 8 wedges per pan.

Allow to cool in the pans another 10 minutes. Then flip out of the pans the gently separate in to wedges.

Makes 16 triangles.