Pistachio Cranberry Shortbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (90 g) icing sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (41 g) raw pistachios, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup (40 g) dried cranberries, finely chopped
• coarse sugar for decorating

Directions:

1. Set out two 7-8 inch tart pans with removable bottoms.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined.
3. Turn the mixer to low speed and slowly add flour to the butter mixture, turn the speed up and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Add chopped pistachios and chopped cranberries to the dough and mix to combine.
5. Divide the dough evenly in half. Place each half into one of the tart pans. Using the palm of your hand flatten the dough to fill the tart pan. Do your best to make the top smooth and flat.
6. Place the shortbread into the refrigerator to firm up, approx. 30-45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
8. Once firm use a sharp knife to score the tops of the shortbread into 16 pieces. I used a chopstick to help create straight lines.
9. Then use a small fork to poke the tops of each triangle, approx. 3 or 4 times. Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar.
10. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Let the shortbread tart cool on a cooling rack for 5-8 minutes, then remove the tart pan. Using a long sharp knife, cut through the score lines making sure to clean the knife before each cut. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack until completely cool.

NOTES:

Store at room temperature in a tin or an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.

You can also slice and bake the cookies if you don't have a tart pan. Simply roll the dough into a log, wrap it in parchment paper or wax paper and refrigerate until the log is nice and firm. Once the cookie log is firm, use a sharp knife to slice 1/2 inch coins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 32 cookies

Thanks to Baking For Friends