Cranberry-Lemon Shortbread

Haul out you baking gear and welcome fall with a good old-fashioned bake-off. This is one of four classic fall recipes. Wrap them up for bake sales, or pack them for lunches, or enjoy them at home with a good cup of tea or a cold glass of milk - sooooo good!!!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Yields: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar
• 1  egg yolk
• 1  teaspoon  finely grated lemon zest
• 1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup  dried and sweetened cranberries, finely chopped
• 3⁄4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice, 100% blend

Directions

1. With an electric mixer, beat butter and brown until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and lemon zest.
2. Combine flour, salt and cranberries. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture, blending until smooth. Form dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shaped with lightly floured cookie cutter or knife. Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets and bake until lightly golden around the edges. , 15-20 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
4. ICING: Mix icing sugar and cranberry juice to form a pale pink icing. Keep covered until ready to use. Once cookies have cooled, decorate each cookie with icing and a piece of cranberry, and allow to firm up.