Holiday Shortbread Cookies

By emp1438

Give these cookies festive flair. Add 3/4 cup chopped mix-ins, such as dried fruit, nuts, or bittersweet chocolate, along with the flour in step 1.
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Ingredients

• Prep Time
• 10 minutesTotal Time
• 55 minutes plus coolingYield
• Ingredients
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/3 cup coarse or sanding sugar (optional), for decorating

Preparation

Step 1

1.In a food processor, combine butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt; process until smooth. Add flour and pulse just until combined. Form dough into an 8-inch-long round or square log; wrap tightly in plastic and freeze until firm, 30 minutes (or up to 1 month).
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Dip edges in sugar if desired and transfer to two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden brown around edges, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cookies cool 5 minutes on sheets. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.