Tina’s Cranberry + Pecan Shortbread Cookies
Gift giving goodness! Tina Holmes, Toronto Home Show, Show Manager shares her traditional holiday shortbread cookie.
One of my Christmas traditions is making batches of shortbread cookies every year and giving to friends and family. It’s a perfect little treat and who doesn’t like receiving pretty little cookies boxes or tins filled with homemade shortbread.
Give these Cookies a try at home (recipe below) and make some delicious magic for friends or just yourself. These cookies are simple with only a few ingredients. Once tried you can experiment with various ingredients, one year I tried chopped up Ferro Roche! A favourite is the Cranberry + Pecan giving it a nutty flavor with a sweet ending.
You can make these cookies in a bowl with a just a wooden spoon or if you are doing multiple batches then the Kitchen Aide Stand Mixer makes it easier.
Ingredients:
1 cup ( 2 sticks ) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar (known as Icing sugar)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Method:
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with a wooden spoon until smooth (or use mixer. My baking best friend is the KitchenAid® Stand Mixer with the KitchenAid® Flex Edge Beater).
- Add flour and salt, till just combined.
- Add / stir in dried cranberries and pecans.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Chill cookie dough 30 minutes or up to 1 day
- Cookie Options – roll dough into 1 to 2 inch balls, and flatten with fork or roll dough into a log and slice into cookies
- Place cookies on Parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake 20 minutes. Let cookies cool and transfer to wire racks.
- Store in airtight containers
Perfect for gift giving!
line gift boxes or tins with parchment paper and add the cookies. Perfect for that perfect little Holiday treat!
Makes about 2 dozen