Christmas Tree Shortbread
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup (about) raspberry jam
- Almond Icing
- Green food coloring
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light.
- Gradually beat in powdered sugar.
- Beat in extracts.
- Add flour and salt and stir just until combined.
- Gather dough into ball; divide in half.
- Flatten each half into disk.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Line 3 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking.
- Cut out cookies, using 3-inch-long Christmas-tree cookie cutter.
- Gather scraps, reroll and cut out total of 36 cookies, placing 12 cookies on each prepared sheet.
- Spread 1 teaspoon jam in center of each cookie.
- Roll out remaining dough disk and cut out more cookies.
- Cut out centers of each cookie, using 1-inch triangle cookie cutter.
- Using metal spatula, lift cookie frames onto jam-topped cookies.
- Gather scraps, reroll and cut additional cookie frames, making total of 36.
- Place on jam-topped cookies.
- Bake cookies until slightly golden brown around edges, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer to racks and cool.
- Place half of Almond Icing in resealable plastic bag.
- Mix enough food coloring into remaining icing to make desired green color.
- Transfer green icing to another resealable plastic bag.
- Cut very tip off 1 corner of each bag.
- Pipe white icing along edges of trees.
- Pipe green icing in dots on trees.
- (Can be made 2 days ahead.
- Store airtight at room temperature.)
unsalted butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond, flour, salt, raspberry, almond icing, green food coloring
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/christmas-tree-shortbread-5784 (may not work)