If you are visiting me for the first time, I like to bake(ya think?). And each holiday season, I bake all of our(and the recipients) favorites. Along with our list of holiday “go-to” recipes, I always feel compelled to try something new. Some flops, but mostly, successes’.
This year I picked a few to try but only got around to making one. I was reading an article on the Epicurious website and loved the idea of the editors’ Christmas Cookie Swap. I love cookie swaps! I love them so much that I want to do some in the coming year geared toward charity and giving back.
All of the cookies looked scrumptious, but visually, one in particular caught my eye. I am not a big fan of candied cherries, but I do love a good shortbread. Besides, they were pretty. And pretty always wins.
These were a hard sell with my family. But that was not the case with those that ate them. They got the thumbs up! Along with these I made some of my families favorites.
Crazy Cranberry Bars | Peppermint Shortbread Bark
Holiday Shortbread Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 cup (6 ounces) flaked sweetened coconut
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tsp. pure rum extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 ounces red candied cherries, coarsely chopped
3 ounces green candied cherries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (4 oz.) coarsely chopped pecans
Instructions
• cream the butter and sugar in the work bowl of your standing mixer. beat 2 minutes on medium speed.
• add the milk and the rum
• with the mixer on low speed, add the flour.
• add the cherries and the pecans, mix just until incorporated. be careful to not over mix.
• if you have a kitchen scale, weigh the dough. then divide, evenly, into four equal balls.
• roll each ball into a log and roll in coconut flakes.
• transfer each log onto a sheet of parchment paper and chill for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
• preheat oven to 375*.
• slice logs into 1/4″ thick cookies and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with either a silpat or a piece of parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets top to back and back to front midway through the baking(keep an eye on the cookies the last two minutes as the coconut may begin to burn).
• let cook before removing them from the cookie sheet.
• these cookies can be made weeks in advance. either freeze the cookie dough log(parchment logs placed in a freezer bag can stay frozen for 3 weeks) or freeze completely baked cookies for up to two weeks.
The Urban Baker / SusanSalzman.com
Homemade Gifts around the Web:
Mexican Tea Cakes – 6 Bittersweet
Fruit Nut Truffles – Gourmande in the Kitchen
Gingerbread House Dough – Sprinkle Bakes
“Awe Nuts” – Bake at 350*
Potted Cheese – Georgia Pellegrini
Holiday Biscotti – Technicolor Kitchen
Such a stunning round up! You are so talented my friend!! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
These shortbread cookies look tasty. So colorful too! Happy Holidays, Susan. xxoo
Shortbread is my favorite. They all look delicious.
Those look so delicious! And there’s something so holiday-ish about shortbread, yum.
What is wonderful about this shortbread is that they would be good with almost any “mix-in”. It is a great base to start with and then the flavors are up to you!
Susan, these cookies are so festive! Sounds like you had a fun holiday. Love the cookie round up.
What a gorgeous array of holiday treats!
-Erin
Thanks so much, Erin. Although exhausting, I do love creating treats this time of year. Especially fun to wrap up and give away to those that we cherish and love. Happy New Year to you and your!
Yeah, I pretty much got the idea that you like to bake 🙂 Wow. You are so talented at baking and styling! Everything looks so perfectly delicious! Merry Merry and happy new year!
Thanks for the compliment, Brooke. Sometimes it is easy to fall into a slump and a rut, thus little notes of encouragment such as yours will always put a smile on my face.
Happy New Year to you and your other half and may 2012 bring more wonderful blessings! xxx
looks so pretty! esp loved grandma rose’s butter cookies (love that blue)
Grandma Rose’s butter cookies are a household(and a neighborhood) favorite. The dough is also terrific, shaped in crescents and rolled in non-perils! It is perfect for all occassions.
They look so pretty and I LOVE shortbread!