Cranberry – Pistachio Shortbread Cookies

 It’s snowing outside – perfect time to be in the kitchen and create!!

These cookies are a snap to make and a perfect accompaniment to a nice “cuppa” tea.

My New Year’s resolution is to make sure that you hear from me more regularly- fingers crossed!! 🙂 

 

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½  cups all purpose flour (7 1/2 oz)

¼  tsp salt

12 TBS unsalted butter (6 oz), room temperature

¼  cup sugar (1 ¾  oz)

¼  cup sweetened dried cranberries ( 1 ½   oz), chopped

1/3 cup pistachios, lightly toasted (1 ¾  oz)

Sparkling sugar

METHOD:

Whisk the flour and salt, set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together until combined.

Add the flour and salt slowly.

Fold in the cranberries and pistachios.

Roll the dough into a log about 1 ½ inches wide.

Roll the log in the sparkling sugar.

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Wrap the log in parchment or wax paper. Chill until firm.

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

When dough is firm, slice about 1/3 inch thick. Place on parchment lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake 15-18 minutes until the cookies are set and very slightly golden on the edges.

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Yield about 30 cookies

Aunt Edith’s Slap Cookies

My Uncle Herb’s sister, Edith, was another wonderful baker that inspired me. She always came to family functions with some sort of great sweet in tow. She called these buttery, delicious cookies “Slap” cookies, because she just slapped them together!

Give them a try- they are simple to prepare. This recipe makes a good size batch. The cookies have a long shelf life and they freeze beautifully as well.

AUNT EDITH’S SLAP COOKIES

Heat oven to 350; Line cookie sheets with parchment.

INGREDIENTS:thumbprint cookie dough

3 cups all purpose flour (15oz)

¾ tsp table salt (not Kosher)

3 sticks (12 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 scant cup sugar (7oz)

1 TBS pure vanilla extract

1 egg yolk, from a large egg

¾ cup red currant jelly

METHOD:

Whisk the flour and salt together; set aside.pastry bag currant jelly

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract; mix until combined.

Add the flour and salt mixture and mix on low speed until dough comes together.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a 1” scoop.

Roll into balls.

With your finger tip, make an indentation in each ball of dough.

Fill the indentations with red currant jelly. A pastry bag or a Ziploc bag with the edge trimmed off works very well for this.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes until light golden.

Cool and enjoy!

Yield: 6 dozen