White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread

 Hello everyone! Ready for the holidays?  I have been baking up a storm lately between the cookies and pretzels its been a constant sugar high.  I found this recipe online a few years ago and it was an instant classic.  It has a definite holiday taste with the dried cranberries and the white chocolate chips. The ground pistachios on top add a nice crunch and nuttiness as well!

Ingredients: 

½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

¼ cup granulated white sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla

¾ cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup fine yellow or white cornmeal

1 tbsp. rice flour or cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries

¼ cup white chocolate chips

1/3 cup finely ground pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees and place the oven rack in the center of the over. Have a ready 8 inch tart pan with removable bottom.

In the bowl of your electric mixer or by hand, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, cornmeal, rice flour, and salt.  Add this mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until incorporated. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Press the shortbread dough evenly into the tart pan. Use a sharp knife to score the shortbread into 12 even wedges.  Sprinkle the top of the shortbread with finely ground pistachio nuts.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until the shortbread is a nice biscuit color, about 40-50 minutes.  Transfer shortbread to a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from tart pan. Place the shortbread round on a cutting board and cut into 12 wedges.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy and happy Holidays :)