It’s only the first part of December and I am busy, busy. I love holiday baking. Today I spent the day with some good friends, baking shortbread. We each made different kinds, and had a blast. Cookie pans, sugar, chocolate chips, cranberries and flour everywhere. Even with our aprons on, we were a mess and we were wearing our flour very well. When we finally stopped to go have lunch, we did a “flour” check of each other, at the door of the restaurant! hahaha. Shortbread is fun to make. It’s easy, delicious and you can add so many different things to it….cranberries, chocolate chips, orange or lemon zest, nuts, toffee bits, peppermint…….SO many options! You can even dip one side in chocolate. Today, I made dried cherries and chopped chocolate. Mm-mmm-mm-m. Just melts in your mouth. In my recipe index, you will find a recipe for my basic shortbread with dried cranberries and orange zest added. Todays post is the chocolate dried cherry. Makes a nice little gift for your friends!  Merry Baking!!

Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

3 sticks of butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cup flour
dash of salt
1/2 cup of dried cherries (chopped)
1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together till fluffy. Add the flour and salt and beat only until combined. Stir in the chocolate and cherries. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes. Remove from plastic, roll into a 1/2″ thickness. Cut into desired shapes. I use a round fluted edged cookie cutter. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for approx. 20 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine cooks really hot so I bake for 15 minutes. Just give them a gentle touch…they should slightly indent and not be real brown. Allow to cool on the sheet. Makes about 20 -24 cookies.