Cranberry Lemon Shortbread Cookie

These cookies are highly addictive and if you are looking for a cookie which is not too sweet and just the right amount of lemon flavor, then this is it.  My kids just loved it and it was easy to prepare.  The only thing is that it is advisable to refrigerate the cookies before baking.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

2/3 cup powdered sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (almond works too)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tsp lemon zest

1/4 cup fine granulated sugar

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with a handheld mixer until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until smooth.  Beat in egg yolks, dried cranberries, thyme and lemon zest.  Gradually add flour and continue beating, just until flour is mixed in.
• Form half of dough into a ball, then cover with plastic wrap.  Repeat with remaining half and refrigerate dough balls for 30 minutes.
• Roll each chilled dough ball into two uniform logs, roughly 1 1/2" thick and 12" long.  Refrigerate for one hour (or until ready to bake).
• When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Remove logs from refrigerator and roll each in granulated sugar.  Use a very sharp knife to slice each log into cookies 1/2" thick and place each cookie onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (note: cookies do not spread very much during baking).