Description
Buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies studded with sweet-tart dried cherries and crunchy toasted almonds, enhanced with a subtle almond extract for a nutty aroma and delightful texture.
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks or 226 g) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (95 g) powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
3/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Mix in almond extract.
- Sift together flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in chopped dried cherries and toasted almonds evenly.
- Scoop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
- Gently flatten each cookie with palm or bottom of glass.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Makes about 24 cookies.
Variations: sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking, use orange zest or vanilla extract instead of almond extract, substitute dried cranberries or cherries soaked in orange juice, add white chocolate chips.
Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week; crisp up softened cookies in 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.
Freezable dough; bake straight from frozen with slight increase in baking time.
Use gluten-free flour blend for gluten-free version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
