Cranberry Shortbread for a cause

My friend Ley from Cilantro and Lime has decided to host her first blog event, and it is a mighty good one. Baking for breast cancer awareness. She is trying to get the work spread more about breast cancer awareness. There are so many people effected by this disease and it does not discriminate against anyone. It effects, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, grandmothers, friends, cousins and sometimes men. I have lost an aunt to this disease and my grandmother, aunt and cousin are survivors.




I chose to bake Cranberry Shortbread for a couple of reasons, 1) I have never made shortbread and 2) cranberries are supposed to be really healthy for you. I found this recipe from a Martha Christmas cookie magazine from a few years ago and they were cut out like hearts. I will be making this again for Christmas baskets and maybe I will shape them into little trees. But, for this month, they will be for Breast Cancer Awareness.




Cranberry Shortbread

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries


Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack in center. Put butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir together with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. Stir in dried cranberries.

Press dough evenly into an 8-inch square baking pan. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, about 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges; remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface. Cut into desired shape.