Cindy’s Shortbread Sticks with Chocolate Icing

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups unbleached flour

2 sticks salted butter, softened to room temperature

½ cup sugar (for a sweeter result, increase sugar to ¾ cup sugar)

1 tsp almond extract (or use vanilla if you prefer) 

Preheat oven to 350 °

Cream sugar and butter until well blended.

Add the almond extract (or the vanilla flavoring)

Mix in the flour one cup at a time, until well blended.

Form into a ball, place in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

For better baking results, chill the dough in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes.

Dough can be refrigerated overnight.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator long enough so the dough can be easily handled.

Place dough on lightly floured surface.

Gently roll into a rectangle approximately 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.

Dough should be approximately 3/8 inch thick.

Try to keep the dough the same thickness along the edges at in the center.

Also, keep the edges as straight as possible, trimming with a knife, or adjusting with your fingers. 

Cut the dough down the center lengthwise, to create two strips 12 inches long and 4 inches wide.

Cut these strips into 8 sections, yielding 16 cookies.

Bake approximately 20 to 22 minutes until lightly browned. 

Chocolate Icing:

1 stick salted butter (use real butter only)

2 cups of milk chocolate chips

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp almond extract (or use vanilla flavoring if you prefer)

½ cup of heavy whipping cream

Melt butter and chocolate chips in heavy saucepan over low heat.

When chocolate is completely melted, and the butter and chocolate is completely blended, slowly add in one cup of the confectioner’s sugar. Stir constantly.

Add half of the heavy whipping cream, mixing well.

Continue alternating the sugar with the cream until well blended and smooth.

Add in the almond extract and mix well.

(Vanilla extract can be substituted for the almond extract.)

I used an electric mixer to blend the icing.  

Lay the shortbread sticks on a piece of wax paper.

Spoon the warm icing over one end of the shortbread sticks and press in the pecan half.

 

Chill the cookies to set the icing.

If the room temperature is exceptionally warm, store in the refrigerator.

Optional decorations:

Either almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, or macadamia nuts would all be good choices for this cookie.

I chose pecan halves for this recipe.

Fun, and more colorful decorations, for children would be sugar sprinkles or non-pareils.