There are many things I love about the holidays, but at the top of my list is baking cookies with my mother. Now that I am home, this will be at the top of my list. Two years ago, she taught me how to make candies from her shop. This year, we will be baking at my sister's, balancing a baby in one hand and a cookie tray in another.

These Cornmeal and Cherry Shortbread Cookies are the first of many cookies that I'll be baking here soon. They're a taste of home, and one that I have used a couple times before (here and here). I didn't want to reinvent the wheel, but I wanted to share my world with Rachel of Bakerita, as part of our blogger cookie exchange that was coordinated by one of my absolute FAVORITE blogger friends, Rebecca of Displaced Housewife. See the rest of those participating by following the hashtag #holidaycookieparty2016 on Instagram!

Cornmeal and Cherry Shortbread Cookies

Makes roughly 18 cookies, depending on your cutter size.

Ingredients:

16 TB unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 TB dried cherries
12 oz good quality white chocolate, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F and prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper
In a food processor, pulse together butter, sugars, flour, cornmeal, and salt until it is fine and crumbly
Dump out onto a floured work surface and knead in dried cherries
Pat into a rectangle
Using a floured rolling pin, roll out until dough is about 3/4 inch thick
Cut into desired shapes and transfer shapes onto your prepared baking sheet
Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and edges are only slightly browned
Allow to cool, then dip in chocolate and sprinkle with a bit of white sugar or salt
Can be kept for up to 5 days or a week in an airtight container