White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

It was fun participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap this year.  There were over 500 food bloggers who participated.  We each would receive 3 food blogger names who we would be sending our cookies to. But we had to wait for a few weeks to find out who those food bloggers were.   After much research I decided to make these White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies from Better Homes and Gardens..  They look Christmasy and buttery shortbread is delicious.  Not only do they have cherries in them but there is white chocolate in the cookies and the cookies are dipped in white chocolate.  When you make these cookies buy the white chocolate with cocoa butter in it.  They will melt much better and quicker and taste better than white chocolate chips without cocoa butter.

The anticipation of waiting to receive the names of my food bloggers names and wondering what delicious morsels I would receive in the mail was fun.  Plus we all were supporting a great non profit,Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a national organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer.

I received three beautifully decorated boxes of cookies in the mail from some awesome food bloggers.  See pictures below of the delicious cookies I received.

You will love these White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies.  Let me know if you try them and how your family likes them!

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
MAKES ABOUT 32 COOKIES

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter chopped and softened but not melted
1 cup chopped red marachino cherries
12 ounces chopped white chocolate containing cocoa butter
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops of red food color
white sprinkles
red sprinkles

Directions:

Spread the chopped cherries on a paper towels to drain them.  Mix flour, sugar, chopped butter, and 2/3 cup white chocolate, and cherries together.  Use your hands to blend thoroughly.  Break off pieces to make 3/4 inch rolled balls.  Should make around 30 balls.  Using a glass, dip the glass into sugar and then press each cookie onto your cookie sheet.  Make sure cookies are 2 inches apart.  The cookies should be about 2 inches after being press.

Bake at 325 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Do not brown but bake until center is slightly firm.  Cool for 5 minutes on wire rack.

Melt chocolate in double boiler or on very low heat in a kettle.  The chocolate will melt very fast, so stir constantly.  When white chocolate is melted, dip 1/2 of each cookie into the white chocolate.  Let the excess chocolate drip off and then immediately dip the chocolate side of the cookie into red or white sprinkles.  Place back on cooling rack until chocolate is set.  You can put them in the refrigerator for a little while to set the chocolate.

PACKAGING IS FROM HOBBY LOBBY.

CHECK OUT THESE GREAT COOKIES THAT I RECEIVED FROM 3 AWESOME FOOD BLOGGERS!

Lemon Ginger Shortbread from food.theplainjane.com