Cranberry-Lemon Shortbread

1/2 lb unsalted butter, at room temp.
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup 100% cranberry juice 




With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg yolk and lemon zest. Combine flour, salt and cranberries.  Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture,  blending until smooth.  Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 30 min.  to make it easier to handle.  Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/2-inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutter or knife.  Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake until lightly golden around edges, 15 to 20 min.  Cool completely on wire rack.


Icing:  Mix icing sugar and cranberry juice to form a pale pink icing.  Keep covered until ready to use.  Once cookies have cooled decorate each cookie with icing and allow to firm up.


Quick tip,  I used the flooding technique to ice my cookies.  With a piping bag outline each cookie with icing then fill the centre with the with a more liquid icing.  Go back and fill in any holes.  I used a squeeze bottle from Micheals to flood.


Recipe from Inspired by Compliments, Fall 2008.