I <3 Cookies

Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread

• 300g plain flour
• 200g butter (room temperature)
  
• 100g sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
  
• pinch of salt
• flavouring (3-4 tbsp cocoa powder, pinch of grated cinnamon & nutmeg)
• cranberries for decoration

1. Preheat your oven to 190 Celcius. Prepare your cookie/baking sheet (line with baking paper).
   
2. Cream butter, sugar and salt in a bowl.
   
3. Sift flour into a separate bowl with cocoa powder, spices. Remove 1 tbsp flour and put back into box. Replace with 1 tbsp cornstarch.
4. Gently fold in dry ingredients (from step 3) into the wet ingredients (from step 2) until all the flour etc. is gone and you're left with a brown mixture. You will probably need to use your hands to knead the mixture into a dough.
   
5. Roll out on a floured surface and cut out shapes as desired using cookie cutters.
   
6. Place on tray. Decorate with cranberries.
   
7. Bake in oven for about 10 minutes (be careful because the chocolate colour makes it hard to see if the cookies are burning!!)
   

N.B. This recipe also works very well in a lemon-ginger varietion. Simply don't use cocoa powder and cinnamon/nutmeg -- substitute a dash of lemon juice and ginger powder. Use candied ginger in place of the cranberries. :) Bon Appétit et Joyeux Noël!