Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Dried Cherries and Walnuts

There are very few things in this world that go together perfectly the way comfort food and fine wine do. Whether you’re celebrating an occasion with someone special or enjoying an evening alone, biting into that delicious treat and taking a sip of our favorite vintage from Grgich Hills Estate, the best of Napa wineries, will put you in a place of absolute bliss. So why not enjoy that Napa wine tasting experience with a mouth-watering delicacy in the comfort of your own home? Check out our Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Dried Cherries and Walnuts recipe! Each bite will send your taste buds to flavor paradise. As for the wine, it’s no secret that finding the right pairing of wine to food is no easy task. That’s because the wine acts as an extra ingredient in the recipe to help enhance the flavors of the food. Luckily we’ve taken the guesswork out of it and suggest these cookies to be paired with a nice red wine.

Recipe:

Course: Dessert

Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for the work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup dried tart cherries
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium-high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until pale in color, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until just short of combined. Add the cherries and walnuts and mix until just combined.
3. Lightly dust a work surface with cocoa powder. Transfer the dough to the work surface and form it into a 12-inch log, dusting with more cocoa powder as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets.
5. Cut the log into 1/3-inch slices, arranging the slices on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake, rotating and changing the position of the baking sheets as necessary, until firm, 17 to 20 minutes.
6. Transfer the baking sheets to a cooling rack to cool slightly, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.

Copyright Jill Silverman Hough. All rights reserved. www.jillhough.com

We hope you enjoy this amazing recipe and wine pairing. Sometimes you don’t need an occasion to treat yourself to something amazing. Pick any night, relax and let the problems of the world melt away for one evening while you indulge in a delicious recipe and the best napa wine tasting experience in Grgich Hills Estate.

Article Source: Chocolate Shortbread Cookies with Dried Cherries and Walnuts