Cherry Shortbread

How to Create Cherry Shortbread – Detailed Guidelines

Comprehensive, easy-to-follow guidelines and measurements are provided in the recipe card at the conclusion of this article.

Step One

Dice the cherries into smaller segments (approximately eighths. I generally do this quite roughly and don’t measure).

Coat them lightly in a handful of flour.

Step Two

Combine the butter and almond in a mixing bowl and whisk until creamy. If you use an electric mixer, it may become stuck and messy. This is exactly how I do it, but to be honest, it’s likely better with a wooden spoon.

Step Three

Incorporate the sugar.

Step Four

Blend in the cherries.

Step Five

Stir in 300g of the flour and mix until it forms thick clumps.

Step Six

Lightly dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough onto it.

Step Seven

Knead until it forms a manageable ball, adding the remaining flour if needed. It will be stickier than traditional shortbread due to the cherries and almonds, so don’t be alarmed if you have to incorporate a significant amount more.

Step Eight

Place it on baking paper and chill for at least 30 minutes. You may also wrap it in clingfilm or simply put it in a bowl.

Step Nine

Sprinkle flour on a work surface and preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).

Step Ten

Prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper. If you possess only one tray, you will need to bake in two batches of six.

Step Eleven

Roll the dough out on the floured surface to about 5mm thick. With a cutter, form 12 cookies, kneading and re-rolling as necessary.

You can opt to make your cookies thinner or thicker. Just modify the baking duration accordingly. If they are significantly thicker, they will spread more, so ensure you leave space in between.

Step Twelve

Arrange the cookies on the baking trays (6 each), ensuring there is a little distance between each.

Step Thirteen

Bake for 12-15 minutes until they are golden brown.

Step Fourteen

Allow to sit for a few minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack and letting them cool completely.

Step Fifteen

If desired, gently melt the chocolate in a pan or microwave and roughly drizzle over the cooled cookies using a piping bag or spoon.