Cranberry Wild Orange Shortbread Cookies

Here's a delicious, festive cookie idea perfect for Valentine's Day, Christmas, or any day! I made these for my son's class Valentine's party, and they were a hit.

Ingredients

• 1cup unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups flour

• 4 drops orange essential oil

• 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Place butter, powdered sugar, almond extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a handheld mixer.

Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer speed to low, and gradually add flour and Wild Orange essential oil. Mix until a dough forms.

Stir in cranberries and almonds (if using) with a spatula.

Pat dough into a ball, and then form into a log shape, about 2-inches in diameter.

Wrap the log in plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, at least an hour.

Remove the dough from the freezer and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Place on greased cookie sheet, at least 1-inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, just until the edges start to turn golden.

Let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the cookie sheet. Recipe makes 3-4 dozen depending on the diameter of the dough roll and the accuracy of 1/4" slices.

For a fun twist for Valentine's Day, use a small heart shaped cookie cutter to leave in imprint on the cookie (press down about half-way as opposed to fully cutting out the cookie).

I adapted this recipe I found here by incorporating certified pure essential oils.