Blueberries and White Chocolate Cream Shortbread

By mitzzy

Dried blueberries (or semi-frozen, small fresh blueberries) make these an incredible new tradition in holiday cookies. Cream and a touch of white chocolate take this forest berry to new heights.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup minced white chocolate
• ¾ cup dried blueberries, slightly plumped and drained *

Preparation

Step 1

If the berries are quite dry and hard, cover with boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and dry. You can also use tiny semi-frozen fresh blueberries and the dried.

In a food processor, whiz the sugar to finely pulverize, about 10 seconds. Remove and place in a mixer with the butter. Cream on slow speed until well blended and then add in the flour and salt and blend. When almost blended into a dough, fold in the vanilla, cream, the white chocolate and berries and mix by hand to incorporate and make a firm dough. Add in more flour if dough is too soft. It should be quite firm. Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface about 1 minute, to make dough very firm. Flatten the dough in a disc, wrap well and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Double up two baking sheets and line top one with parchment paper.

Roll the dough out gently and cut into small round cookies about ½ thick. Place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake 15 minutes and then reduce temperature to 300 F until lightly browned, about 30-40 minutes. Cool well.

Makes 24-36 cookies.