Cranberry & White Chocolate Shortbread

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
icing sugar for dusting (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9" x 13 " baking pan with parchment paper so that it overhangs ends for easy removal.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour with corn starch and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat butter with icing sugar and vanilla until very creamy. Stir in flour mixture, then cranberries and chocolate chips. Using floured fingers, pat evenly into prepared pan. Using a fork, prick surface all over.

4. Bake in preheated oven 40-50 minutes or until deep golden around edges. Let stand in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Using parchment paper, lift out of pan. Slice into bars while still warm. Cool completely. Dust with icing sugar if desired.

Prep Time:15 minutes
Bake Time: 40-50 minutes
Makes:48 bars
Freezing:excellent



Notes:

The one and only time that I used parchment paper (and yes, it really was parchment paper and not waxed paper) it burnt to the bottom of my cakes. I didn't use parchment paper this time either, I just sprayed the bottom of the pan and cut the bars while still in the pan.

I baked the shortbread for 40 minutes and the top was quite brown and the cranberries and chocolate chips were rather crunchy. However, the shortbread tasted delicious! I will definitely make this again but I will bake for 30-35 minutes instead.