Fruit and Nut Shortbread Cookies

My baking experience is getting exciting and I love the aroma that fills my home during my baking sessions. My current obsession is shortbread and my most favorite to date are fruit and nut shortbread cookies. The most easy cookies to make – just slice and bake. The good thing about this shortbread recipe is its versatility where you can play around with different flavors and add ons like dried fruits, nuts, zest . The addition of dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries and nuts like pistachio or almonds accentuate the classic shortbread flavour and take it to a whole new level. And do you know the best part of this shortbread recipe? It is egg less and you can freeze the unbaked log of shortbread dough and bake in a jiffy when friends drop by.
The fruit and nut shortbread cookies are light, delicate and buttery with a slight crunch. The shortbread has the right amount of sweetness, subtly spiced with cardamom and a fragrant zing of lemon-y zest. They make for a perfect accompaniment with a cup of tea or coffee or just serve them as a dessert.My kiddo Avika loves them a lot always asks for a cookie so tried on her birthday.

Frozen shortbread cookie dough 

Sliced cookie dough ready to be baked

Fruit and Nut Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 15 min

Yield: 15

Main Ingredients: flour dried fruits and nuts

Ingredients

• All purpose flour - 1 cup
• Cornflour - 2 tbsps
• Butter - 1/2 cup, room temperature, softened
• Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup (can reduce slightly for a less sweeter taste)
• Salt - pinch
• Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (OR clove powder)
• Lemon zest - 1/4 tsp (optional)
• Dried fruits and nuts - 1/4 cup each of finely chopped raisins, dried cranberries, pistachios, almonds

Method

1. In a bowl, add the softened butter, powdered sugar and salt and beat till light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract, cardamom powder and lemon zest and mix well.
2. Add the flour and cornflour and mix to make a soft dough. Add the finely chopped dried fruits and nuts and mix well.
3. Place a 15" by 15" square plastic wrap on the work surface. Place the soft dough on it and shape it into a log as shown in the image above. Wrap the log with plastic wrap and seal the ends. Again wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze for an hour or until it hardens.
4. At the time of baking, pre heat oven to 160 C and remove the dough from the freezer. Unwrap and slice the dough into 1/4" slices and place them on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Place them at least an inch apart as they expand on baking.
5. Place baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 13-15 mts or until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Tips

• You can add any dried fruits and nuts of your choice.
• The shortbread will be soft on touch after baking and will harden once it is out of the oven and cools down.
• Check from 12 mts onwards as the temperature differs from oven to oven. Sometimes it could take upto 17 to 20 mts to bake.