Shortbread Cookies

These were so quick and easy to put together.  I even made the dough before work one morning.  The original recipe is from Claire Robinson, whose show on the Food Network is called "5 Ingredient Fix."  I love that she makes her food with five ingredients or less (salt, pepper, and water don't count as ingredients for her because they're so common), and these cookies were no exception.  One of the reviews said they were more of an adult cookie instead of a kiddie cookie, and after trying them, that made sense to me.   They were good, but there are other cookies that your kids (and maybe you) would enjoy more.   

Since I'm not limited to five ingredients, I added 1/2 cup of chopped pecans to the dough, and after the cookies were baked, I dipped them in melted chocolate.  The recipe said to make them in your food processor, which would be incredibly easy, but since mine isn't working right now, I used a spoon and my hands.


Shortbread Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into chunks
t tsp water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Add the flour, salt, and 1/2 cup powdered sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine.  Add in the butter, vanilla, and water.  Pulse together until a dough is formed.  Put the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log.  Tightly twist each end of the wrap in opposite directions, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

When ready to bake, slice the log into disks, and arrange on a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake until edges are light brown, about 12-14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking process.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes until transferring to wire racks to cool completely.  If desired, sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp powdered sugar and dip in melted chocolate chips.