Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

With LOVE and BUTTER I bring you these beautiful Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies! I love shortbread cookies. When I was younger, my mom would let us pick out a treat when she would bring us to Barneys Coffee for her afternoon coffee fix. My siblings would always go for the oh-so-child-enticing colorful crystal sugar stick. I, on the other hand, always picked a biscotti or shortbread cookie! Oh how I loved how it melted in my mouth with it’s buttery goodness! I love to play with all kinds of shortbread cookie flavors, which is how I came up with this cranberry orange combination. It is great for year round and for holidays, but be prepared for these cookies to be devoured quickly!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 cup of cold unsalted butter cut into cubes

1 tsp almond extract

3/4 cup of sugar

zest of two organic oranges

3/4 cup dried cranberries chopped into smaller pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Combine the butter, cranberries, almond extract, orange zest, and half of the sugar in your standing mixer. Then add in the flour and the rest of the sugar and mix until you get a crumbly dough.

Transfer the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and mold into a log. Wrap the dough in the parchment paper tightly, and place in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Cut the cookie dough into slices about a 1/2 inch think.

Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and place in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown, then immediately remove.

Let the cookies cool completely before removing then from the tray.

When you are ready to serve dessert, scoop some vanilla ice cream into a serving bowl or glass, and pair it with one of the shortbread cookies! You can add some more orange zest and dried cranberries, or even some honey to drizzle on top of your dessert!