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Valentine's Day: Dried Cranberry Shortbread Hearts

Source of Recipe

MarthaStewart.com


List of Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries or cherries



Recipe

1. Heat oven to 325° with a rack in center. Combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried cranberries.

2. Pat dough evenly into an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack until cool enough to touch, about 20 minutes. Run knife around edges, remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface. Use 1 1/2- to 2-inch heart cookie cutter to cut out cookies. Use a paring knife to trim stray bits of cranberry from edges. Cookies will keep for 5 days at room temperature in an airtight container.


Makes about 1 1/2 dozen 1 3/4-inch hearts
This simple shortbread recipe is patted firmly into a baking pan; shapes are cut with a cookie cutter.