Espresso Cinnamon Toast Shortbread Cookies

The December 2011/January 2012 issue of Fine Cooking has some tempting recipes to try for the holidays: Seared Scallops with Warm Radicchio and Pancetta; Braised Fennel with Orange; Short Rib and Dried Porcini Lasagne; Butternut Squash Lasagna with Goat Cheese, Sage, and Breadcrumbs; Sweet Potato Oven Fries; an updated version of German Chocolate Cake; and Shortbread Cookies, Your Way.

My Way:  Espresso-Cinnamon Toast Shortbread

Vanilla Shortbread Cookie dough provides the canvas for various add-ins to suit your taste, such as cardamom, double ginger, cinnamon toast, lemon and espresso-chip. Even in my adult life, I make cinnamon toast on occasion. There's just something addicting about that crunchy layer of caramelized cinnamon-sugar, with buttery, soft, warm bread underneath, with my morning cup of coffee.

With mom still in rehab after hip surgery, I had a little added incentive to make these shortbread cookies last night...some for her, and most for me ;-)

I didn't stop with adding a touch of cinnamon to the dough and a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar over the top before baking. I also dissolved a teaspoon of instant espresso powder in the vanilla extract before mixing the vanilla into the dough. With a basic recipe like this, there are many creative variations.

Fine Cooking's step-by-step and flavor options can be found in the most recent issue, and in the article, How to Make Shortbread Cookies. Be sure to add these to your Christmas Cookies list this year!