Shelly's Recipe

SHORTBREAD BITES with Variations

Category: Cookies

1-1/4 cups flour
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
2 tbsp colored sprinkles

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling. Stir in sprinkles. Form mixture into a ball and knead until smooth.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, roll or pat the dough to form an 8x5-inch rectangle. Cut into 1/2-inch squares. Separate pieces on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms just start to brown and center is set. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Remove and cool on waxed-paper-covered rack.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Bites: Prepare shortbread as directed, except omit the sprinkles and stir 2 tsp poppy seed into flour-sugar mixture and add 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel with the butter.

Chocolate Chip Bites: Prepare shortbread as directed, except omit the sprinkles and stir in 1/3 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces after cutting in butter.

Butter-Pecan Bites: Prepare shortbread as directed, except omit the sprinkles, substitute brown sugar for the sugar and stir in 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans after cutting in the butter.