Cherry Shortbread

How to Make Cherry Shortbread – Step-by-Step Instructions

Full, simple instructions and exact measurements are included in the recipe card at the end of this article.

Step One

Dice the cherries into smaller bits (roughly into eighths. I usually chop them fairly casually and don’t bother measuring).

Tumble them lightly in a small handful of flour.

Step Two

Put the butter and almond into a mixing bowl, then beat until they turn soft. If you use an electric whisk, it tends to clog up and get messy. That’s how I do it, though—though, honestly, it’s probably easier with a wooden spoon.

Step Three

Whisk in the sugar.

Step Four

Whisk in the cherries.

Step Five

Mix in 300g of the flour and whisk until the mixture forms thick, clumpy bits.

Step Six

Lightly dust a clean work surface, then tip the dough onto it.

Step Seven

Work it until it becomes a usable ball, adding the remaining flour only if needed. It’ll feel stickier than plain shortbread due to the cherries and almonds, so if you end up needing to add quite a bit more, that’s totally fine.

Step Eight

Transfer to baking paper and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can also wrap it with clingfilm, or set it inside a bowl.

Step Nine

Dust the work surface with flour, then preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (fan-assisted).

Step Ten

Prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper. If you only have one tray, you’ll need to bake in two rounds of six.

Step Eleven

Roll the dough out on the floured surface to about 5mm thick. Cut out 12 cookies using a cutter, then gather, knead, and reroll as required.

Feel free to make the cookies thinner or thicker. Just modify the baking duration as needed. If they’re much thicker, they’ll spread more—so be sure to leave space between each one.

Step Twelve

Set the cookies onto the baking trays (6 on each), leaving a little room between them.

Step Thirteen

Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.

Step Fourteen

Let them stand for a few minutes, then carefully move them onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

Step Fifteen

If you like, gently melt the chocolate in a saucepan or in the microwave, then spoon or pipe a rough drizzle over the cooled cookies.