Aspiring Bakers#2: Christmas! (Dec 2010) - Cranberry Shortbreads

Few days before chirstmas, on 20 Dec 2010, my attempt to bake a oatmeal-cranberry cookie failed after I realised the oats had expired only after I mixed it into the butter-sugar batter. The next few days were christmas gatherings and I knew I would not have the time to do another baking. All thanks to my stubborn-ness, I told myself I must bake cookies for christmas this year, for it has not failed me all these years. :P

I wake myself extra early on one of the morning, prepared the cookie dough, and chill it in the fride in advance. After getting home that night, I made these cookies, with the dough prepared in advance, and finished it around 1am. Only then could I go to bed, satisfied. :)

This recipe was adapted from a recent cookie book I got - The Australian Women's Weekly:Cookies. It as a plain shortbread designd like a button but I added cranberries to the shortbread dough and cut out using cookie cutters. The red cranberries added gave a plain cookie a christmas-y feel. Love the colour contrast when added to the dough.

I'm submitting this to Aspiring Bakers#2: Christmas hosted by Passionate About Baking. Do hop over to her blog to see other interesting christmas baking/cooking postings!

Cranberry Shortbread

Ingredients:

250g butter

75g caster sugar

35g rice flour

335g plain flour

120g cranberries, diced and chopped finely

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Line oven trays with baking paper.
3. Beat butter and sugar with electric beater until smooth. Stir in sifted flours. Add cranberries and knead to form a smooth dough.
4. Divide dough into two portions and chill dough in the fridge for about 1 hour, until firm.
5. Roll dough to about 3mm thickness (you can use the thicker end of two chopsticks as a guide).
6. Cut out your desired shapes with a cookie cutter.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes in the preheated oven (my cookie is about 4-5-cm, if your cookie is bigger, you have to increase the baking time. When cookie is slightly browned, it is ready).
8. Remove from oven to cool on a wire rack.

Adapted From: The Australian Women's Weekly: Cookies