Wait, what? Christmas is WHEN? I actually stopped to think about this on the weekend and was shocked to realise that I only have 2.5 days of school left before the winter break.
I know, I know, I’ve been baking and cooking holiday recipes here for a while now but honestly, it always feels like it’s SO FAR off in the distance and then, boom, there it is. 10 days away. I have to say, my holiday recipe testing and baking has kept my staffroom afloat in the past couple of weeks. We went an entire week when there were different treats to be had in the staffroom every day. Then last week I didn’t bring anything in at all for a few days and it somehow felt much less festive and much more like “OMG is this term nearly over?” Because, guess what? Teachers count down the days too 😉
To that end, as I was perusing my baking projects this past weekend, I knew that for my latest Kraft Canada #whatscooking assignment, I would need to bring my A-game with some baked goods this morning (last Monday at school of 2014! Now there’s a reason for a celebration!) – specifically, shortbread cookies. With a holiday twist. I decided that I would use this shortbread cookie recipe but instead of putting the chocolate inside the cookie, I’d melt it and use it to dip the cookies.
And then, what are the holidays without a little something red and green, right? 😉
***Clearly the holiday baking got to my ability to correctly copy the recipe here – EDITED TO ADD the amount of butter is 230g***
- 230g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 100g Baker's Premium Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup whipping (35%) cream
- Sprinkles, for decoration
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Beat butter and 1 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add flour and cornstarch and incorporate using a rubber spatula. Roll dough into 24 (1-inch) balls and place 3 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Flatten slightly with bottom of glass. Bake 13-15 minutes or until the centres are set and the cookie tops are lightly browned.
- Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes them transfer to wire racks.
- Prepare the chocolate ganache.
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat (you can do this in a microwave too), until bubbling.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate in a small bowl and let it sit for a few minutes, then gently whisk to combine.
- Once the cookies have cooled, you can dip half of each cookie in the chocolate ganache, then sprinkle with holiday sprinkles then allow them to set.
- Serve as soon as they are hard, or keep in the fridge so they don’t melt.
Verdict? I loved these cookies – they are so easy to make (perfect for kids in the kitchen) and the dipping ganache and sprinkles add a nice festive quality to them. They look pretty for any holiday dessert table or, quite frankly, any table 😉 I am sure by the time you read this post, most of them will have been snapped up by my colleagues!
Disclosure: As a Kraft Canada #whatscooking contributor, I receive compensation for writing these posts, however, all opinions are 100% my own.
These cookies are adorable!!
Who doesn’t love shortbread, especially when dressed up with chocolate and sprinkles for the holidays. Very nice looking cookies.
Enjoy your last few days at school this week. Best wishes to you and all your students, especially your Les Petites Chefs for a safe and happy holiday. Been a great semester here!
Your shortbread pictures look amazing!
My one and only attempt at making shortbread cookies didn’t go so well.
With reading how yours turned out, this has given me the courage to attempt it once again.
Merry Christmas!
I’m not sure how we are already so close to Christmas already. How did this happen? I’ve hardly gotten anything accomplished and we are already the 15th! Sigh… I think I need to sit down with a cup of tea and a few of these shortbread so that I can strategize 😉
I loooove shortbread!!
Mardi your blog is amazing… and I am impressed that you have lived in so many countries! How cool… I am happy to have found you via Sally’s blog. I will stop by once in a while 😀
I wish you an amazing week!
Allane
These look SO good! And I love the festive sprinkles 🙂
I made bark this month and we liked this dessert. I should try these cookies, they look great!