The Great Cookie Swap 2013

Last year I was a little late to the party (and had just started my blog a month or so earlier), but this year you better believe I had the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap on my radar months in advance. This was such a fun way to get into the holiday spirit and a great way to try different cookie recipes (not to mention gain a few pounds along the way but whatever. So worth it). Here is what I sent to my matches, Kaitlin, Chrissy, and Kendra, which an adaptation from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe. Hopefully they enjoyed their sweet treats!

Red Velvet Shortbread Cookies
yields 24 cookies

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut up
1 tablespoon red food coloring
vanilla Almond Bark
pistachios, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter and red food coloring using a pastry blender until mixture resembles a fine crumb. This is going to take awhile, but hey, it will just make you feel a little better about all the dough and cookies you're about to consume. Who needs a Bowflex or Shake Weight when you have a pastry blender?! Guns of steel here we come!

Once the dough starts to cling together, remove from mixing bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Form mixture into a ball, kneading until smooth. Roll dough to a 1/2 inch thickness and cut out dough with a cookie cutter of your choice. I used a cut little flower about an inch wide. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Please scraps together and re-roll until all dough has been used.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until centers are set. Transfer cookies to a wire rack or wax paper to cool. While cookies are cooling, chop pistachios until they are a fine crumb. Melt almond bark in the microwave in 30 second increments. Be sure to stir between each round to avoid over cooking. Dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Let stand on wax paper until set then enjoy!