Cranberry Chocolate Shortbreads

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (40 grams) fine yellow or white cornmeal
1 tablespoon (8 grams) rice flour or cornstarch (corn flour)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (50 grams) dried cranberries (or cherries)
1/4 cup (45 grams) white chocolate chips or chunks
1/3 cup (80 ml) finely ground pistachio nuts (optional)

Shortbread:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 8 inch (20 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl whisk together the all purpose flour, cornmeal, rice flour, and salt. Add this mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until incorporated. Fold in the dried cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Press the shortbread dough evenly into the tart pan. Prick the surface of the shortbread with a fork to prevent the shortbread from puffing up. Then, using a sharp knife, score (make shallow lines) the top of the shortbread into 12 even pieces. If desired, sprinkle the top of the shortbread with finely ground pistachio nuts.

Place in the preheated oven and bake until the shortbread has turned a nice biscuit color, about 40-50 minutes. Transfer shortbread to a wire rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from tart pan. Place the shortbread round on a cutting board and cut into 12 wedges (along the lines scored). Cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 12 shortbread wedges.