Triple C Shortbread Cookies [Sweetest Season Giveaway]

Now, I don't know about you, but anytime the holidays roll around, I'm all about the sweets. I absolutely love love love shortbread cookies, and I love chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted something different. Who doesn't love chocolate covered cherries? Ha! ME! I hate them actually, but I wanted to give these a try. Let me just tell you.... They are nothing like chocolate covered cherries, they are a million times better! These little cookies have the perfect structure to be stacked and wrapped for little Christmas goodies, or to be enjoyed all for yourself! 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 cup maraschino cherries, chopped 
• 4 Tsp granulated sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup white and/or dark chocolate chips 
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and the confectioners sugar
2. Mix the flour, salt, and 2 tsp sugar generously
3. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until it starts forming large clumps
4. Chop maraschino cherries, sprinkle with 2tsp granulated sugar
5. Mix in the maraschino cherries, chocolate chips and vanilla extract.
6. Form the dough into the shape that you want, wrap it in plastic or foil and set it to chill in the freezer for at least an hour, I usually let it sit over night.
7. Heat oven to 325F
8. Cut the log into 1/4 inch thick slices and place them on a baking sheet with one inch of space between them
9. Bake 20-25 minutes, until they just start to turn lightly golden brown on top
10. Let cool & enjoy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

51 bloggers teamed up to bring you an awesome cookie-centric giveaway! We picked out a stand mixer and other goodies to make baking this season go smoothly. And, a big thank you goes out to the generous sponsors who helped with The Sweetest Season by organizing, as well as providing products to the participating bloggers and donating some incredible prizes for our giveaway! Be sure to check out Imperial Sugar, Dixie Crystals, Bob’s Red Mill, Cabot Creamery and The Crumby Cupcake for lots of great recipe ideas. And check out Garnishing Co., who designed our graphics.We’re giving away The Sweetest Cookie Prize Pack, and it is worth $690! See the Rafflecopter below to enter to win this amazing set of cookie baking goodies. The prize pack includes:

• One KitchenAid 5-Qt. Artisan Design Series Stand Mixer with Glass Bowl in Sugar Pearl Silver // $315 value
• One $50 Bob’s Red Mill gift card and one exclusive set of Bob’s Red Mill products: One 5-lb. bag Organic All Purpose Flour, one 5-lb. bag Organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, one 40-oz. bag Almond Meal, one 28-oz. bag Sparkling Sugar, one 28-oz. bag Cane Sugar // $95 value
• Two 4-lb. bags of Imperial Sugar/Dixie Crystals granulated sugar, one My First Cookbook and a silicone baking mat // $50 value
• Coupons for $40 worth of Cabot Creamery products, including butter and yogurt // $40 value
• One OXO Good Grips 5-Quart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl // $35 value
• One Jenaluca Stainless Steel Medium Cookie Scoop // $33 value
• One 2-piece Calphalon Nonstick Baking Sheet Set // $30 value
• One 10” x 15” Stainless Steel Metal Cooling Rack // $25 value
• One 7-piece OXO Good Grips Multi-colored Nesting Measuring Beaker Set // $20 value
• One GIR: Get It Right Ultimate Spatula in Gray // $19 value
• One 5-piece R & M Snowflake Cookie Cutter Set // $10 value
• One OXO Good Grips 11” Balloon Whisk // $10 value

I received free product from Imperial Sugar, Dixie Crystals and Bob’s Red Mill as part of The Sweetest Season Cookie Exchange. As always, all opinions and recipe are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support Not Your Average Southern Belle!