White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Every year my mom and I bake together, and it's usually the same pattern: 3 well-loved Christmas CDs that we bought in a Cracker Barrel restaurant giftshop on a vacation down south when I was a teen (Smokey Mountain Christmas, Hallmark Christmas Traditions, and Smooth Jazz Christmas); Chocolate Chip, Sugar Cookies with Cherries, Spritz, and Molasses Cookies; lots of sampling and then storing cookies away in the beloved Santa Cookie Tin and Santa Cookie Jar. 

This year, we went for a change of pace.  Pandora provided the music and recipes were read off of Pinterest on an iPad (which is way more useful for recipes than just about anything else, I've found).  This was one we hadn't planned on making but as Mom looked through my cookie board it caught her eye.  Apparently my mom loves white chocolate- who knew?

Melting white chocolate is tricky - it seizes up really easy.  Adding a little vegetable oil while stirring will usually loosen it up again if that happens.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens
Yield: about 5 dozen

Ingredients

They look like they're wearing Santa hats!

1/2 c. maraschino cherries, drained and then finely chopped
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. cold butter
12 oz. white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Red colored sugar
2  teaspoons shortening

1. Preheat oven to 325° F.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine flour and sugar. Using fingers or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. 

3. Stir in chopped cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the white chocolate pieces. Add in the almond extract. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a small glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls.

4. Bake at 325° F for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. Slowly melt together remaining white chocolate and shortening. Dip half of each cookie into melted white chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. Roll or sprinkle edges in colored sugar. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set.