White Chocolate & Cherry Shortbread Cookies

My dad always says, "you'll know your husband really likes something if he asks you to make it again." This was one of those recipes. I first saw this recipe on Pinterest...I wanted to make it for Valentine's Day. Plus it gave me the chance to use my new food processor. It was slightly labor intensive...but that could just be because I'm not the greatest baker...and mine didn't come out like the picture either. But they were very good. I wondered exactly what shortbread was/is and I read that it's crumbly because of it's high fat content! ha! But they're a keeper for sure.

Here is the original recipe:

ingredients:

2/3 cup maraschino cherries, drained
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
12 ounces good quality white chocolate, finely chopped and divided
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
2 teaspoons shortening

directions:

Pulse cherries briefly in a food processor until finely chopped. You should have 1/2 cup of chopped cherries; spread on a double layer of paper towels to remove any excess liquid.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and sugar. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add drained cherries and 4 ounces of the chopped chocolate. Pulse briefly to combine. Finally, add almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it comes together in a smooth ball.

Divide dough in half, and roll each half into a cylinder approximately 1 1/2-inches in diameter by 10-inches long. Roll up in parchment paper or plastic wrap, twisting ends to seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Using a sharp knife, slice chilled dough into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange on a non-stick or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set and bottoms are lightly golden. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small saucepan or a microwave safe bowl, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat or microwave on low power, stirring often, until melted. Transfer melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle fitted with a small round tip and drizzle over tops of cookies. Alternatively, you can dip cookies in melted chocolate and roll edges in decorative sprinkles. Place cookies on waxed paper until set.

Here are the changes I made:

Oh, I should point out that from August 2011-May 2012 (hopefully) I didn't actually have an oven. I used a toaster oven to bake anything and everything. As a result the baking times and temperature in the original recipe have not been tried and tested. Also, I didn't add the melted chocolate at the end. Hubbs thought they were sweet enough without it, and requested I don't put it on--which is a rarity for him. (He loves ALL things sugar--especially white chocolate). Oh and I prefer mine thicker than the picture shows. I made them both ways (thin and thick) and the thicker ones have a better taste and texture.