Cranberry Noels

There are some things that we know will be consistent. In this case it's a Martha Stewart recipe for Cranberry Noels. These are such a simple refrigerator cookie and once cut and baked, you might even get a smiley face design on your cookie. The taste is very shortbread like with dried fruit and nuts.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks)butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add milk and vanilla. Beat until just combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, salt, cranberries and pecans, continue beating until fully combined.

2. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into an 8-in log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.





3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Using a sharp knife,cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden 14-16 minutes (mine were done in 12 minutes), rotating baking sheets halfway through. Remove from oven, and transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.