Cranberry & White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Yesterday I went to a cookie exchange with a wonderful group of women. One brought cookies from the book Presidential Cookies by Bev Young. She has been baking the various cookies of the US Presidents from George Washington to George Bush. The cookies she brought tonight were from Chester A. Arthur's era. They were called Rocks. Who knew?

A sampling of some of the other cookies at the party.... Clementine Gingerbread Checkerboards, Linzer Tart Cookies, Chewy Lime Sugar Cookies, Gluten Free Berry Pillow Cookies, Caramel Pretzel Pecan Cookies, Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, and Grandma Emma's Sugar Cookies.

I am humbled.

These cookies were my contribution. They consist of a shortbread, leftover homemade cranberry sauce, and white chocolate.

I have made these cookies many times, usually using raspberry jam. They are always a big hit, but the spicy homemade cranberry sauce seemed to add another dimension.

Cranberry & White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Makes 36 cookies

½ C unsalted butter

¼ C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

About 1 ¼ C all purpose flour

1/8 to ¼ tsp salt

¼ C cranberry sauce (or raspberry, blackberry, or any other jam, not jelly)

2 ounces of white chocolate, chopped

1.     In the bowl of stand mixer beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with the paddle attachment until smooth.
2.     Stir in the flour until the dough comes together
3.     Divide the dough into three equal parts and create three 9 -inch logs
4.     Place the logs on a parchment lined baking sheet
5.     Press the logs with your finger to make indentations every inch
6.     Spoon about a ¼ tsp of jam into the indentations
7.     Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges
8.     Cool on the pan on a rack
9.     Place the chopped chocolate in a plastic bag and melt in hot water
10. Dry the outside of the bag
11. Squeeze the melted chocolate toward one of the bag’s corners and tie the bag above the chocolate.
12. Cut a corner of the bag and pipe the melted chocolate across the ropes from side to side.
13. Chill until the chocolate is firm.
14. Cut the ropes diagonally into 12 pieces.