Short Bread Cookies

     Here is another fun Christmas cookie recipe that won the hearts of my co-workers last year. It is great to have children help with this one.

Happy Baking and Happy Shopping!

Short Bread Cookies

Ingredients:

3 cups of all- purpose flour (a little extra for dusting)

½ cup of corn starch

¼ tea spoon of course salt

1 tea spoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of confectioner sugar

3 and ½ sticks of unsalted butter

1 hand full of Turbinado Sugar (sugar in the raw) for sprinkling on top of cookies

6 to 7 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate

 Preparing Dough

1.     Start by sifting flour, cornstarch, and salt into a bowl.

2.     In a separate bowl, chop up the sticks of butter and get to room temperature. Using a mixer with paddles, combine the butter and confectioner sugar together until is a smooth consistency.

3.     Add you vanilla extract to mixture

4.     In small portions, begin to introduce the flour, cornstarch & salt from other bowl to the butter mixture. I like to do it in about 4-5 parts.

5.     Once everything is combined, you will notice the mixture will form a dough. It will be a very soft consistency. So I suggest dusting a little more with flour so you grab it out of the bowl.

6.     At this point, you will need to wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for approx 30 minutes.

 Cutting you Dough

7.     Pre-heat your over to 325 degrees

8.     Once your dough is chilled, you can take it out and place it on your flour dusted counter to start to roll out. I like to roll it out to be about ½” thick.  Dust your rolling pin too.

9.     Use your cookie cutter and cut out your pieces. Place on a non-greased cookie sheet.

10.   My personal favorite thing is to sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top of the cookies before I bake.

11.   Baking time is about 20-25 minutes. I like to bake for about 10 minutes, then rotate cookie sheets so the cookies will bake evenly… bake for about another 10 minutes. Watch the edges to see it they are starting to brown (golden)

12.   Before you do anything to cookies, they must completely cool.

 Adding the chocolate

13.   Once your cookies are completely cool, you can add the chocolate topping

14.   In a glass bowl microwave semi-sweet chocolate for approximately 30 seconds, at a time, in small portions.

15.   Don’t trust the time, watch the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon.

16.   Once your chocolate is completely melted, you can drizzle or dip your cookies.

17.   After chocolate is applied, you will have to place in the refrigerator to set the chocolate until is completely firm. This should be about 20 minutes.                                  

 ENJOY!

Recipe is based on Foodnetwork show from Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten short bread cookie recipe.