Elfin Shortbread Bites

I love shortbread - the simple, buttery goodness of it is so comforting and delicious. And when I made these, I discovered how EASY it was as well - just add some flour, sugar, and butter to the food processor and voila, you have shortbread!

This particular recipe appealed to me because they were so cute! I bought peppermint sprinkles to mix in and they give off a minty fragrance and flavor. On the original recipe, it says that this makes 160 bites, and Elle says she got 90. Well, I only got 48 - I don't see how you can get any more from that - I mean, look at how little my bites are! Regardless, it still made a whole bunch and I can't wait to try this with different kinds of sprinkles!

**Note: A bench scraper or a very sharp paring knife works best to cut these little guys.

Elfin Shortbread Bites
from Elle's New England Kitchen
Makes about 4 dozen

1 1/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons red and green sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

If using a food processor, pulse the flour and sugar until blended. Add in the butter until it all resembles fine crumbs. Add the sprinkles and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. (Don't overdo it, or the dough will turn pink from the red sprinkles.)

Remove to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until the dough forms a ball. Pat the dough out into an 8x5 inch rectangle on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cut the dough into 1/2 inch squares, and separate them on the baking sheet.

If you're not using a food processor, mix the flour and sugar in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter until you get fine crumbs, stir in the sprinkles and knead until smooth. Continue with cutting.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, and then transfer the cookies on the parchment to a cooling rack. Store in a tightly covered container at room temp for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.