An easy chocolate shortbread is topped with vanilla icing and a cherry for a quick and pretty dessert square.
Servings: 36squares
Ingredients
Chocolate Shortbread
½cupbutterlightly salted
¼cupgranulated white sugar
1cupall-purpose flour
2tbspunsweetened baking cocoa
Frosting
2cupspowdered sugar
2tbspmilk
1tbspbutterlightly salted
½tsppure vanilla extract
18maraschino cherries, halved
Chocolate Glaze
1ozunsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
1½tspbutter
Instructions
Chocolate Shortbread
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
In a food processor, process together all ingredients, pulsing until the mixture begins to come together as a dough.
Alternately, if you are using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar, then add the flour and baking cocoa and stir until well combined. Either way, this is a dry and somewhat crumbly dough.
Press dough into parchment-lined pan.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack before applying frosting.
Frosting
Combine powdered sugar and butter. Beat in milk and vanilla until smooth.
Using the overhanging parchment paper as handles, carefully lift the crust out of the pan and set on the counter. It's easier to frost outside the pan.
Spread over cooled chocolate shortbread crust.
Making sure your cherries are well drained (pat dry with a paper towel), place halves cut-side down on frosting in a 6x6 square.
Chocolate Glaze
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together chocolate and butter on low heat. Stir until smooth, and then drizzle over cherries.
Refrigerate until glaze has set.
Cut into 36 squares (6x6) with a cherry on each square.