Strawberry Shortbread

I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens 2007 Christmas Cookie magazine. At the time I had plans to make at least a few of the recipes, but got distracted by other baking plans. so I tucked it away until now.

The directions are pretty simple- basically you make a compound butter mixture of the butter, strawberry preserves and almond extract, then freeze til hard. From there you cut the butter mixture into the flour and sugar, as if you were making a pastry dough. Then knead the dough til smooth, roll and cut out into shapes, and bake. After cooling they get topped with a powdered sugar- strawberry preserve glaze.

My husband and co-workers *loved* them, but I'm not entirely sold. They are definitely good, with a buttery light taste, just a hint of strawberry flavor. The dough, prior to baking, had a beautiful, intense strawberry almond scent that seemed to really bake out once they done. That might be because I used a generic strawberry preserve, rather than something like Smuckers, so the flavor might have been too subtle.

I think my problem comes from the fact that I don't really know what shortbread is supposed to taste like. It's been so long since I've had it, prior to making some, that I didn't know what to expect. But for my first attempt I'm happy with the results.

I think next I might try the PB Candy Shortbread, with chopped mini peanut butter cups, or perhaps the Banna-Nut. Stay tuned.........