Sweet Butter Sticks

One of my favorite cookies...shortbread. I love their butteriness. They are the perfect cookie. But it's the holidays, a time of year where everything has an extra special touch to it. And for all of the non-cookie makers that want to be but have burned too many batches of cookies and have kind of given up, (maybe we just need new stoves, maybe our oven temperatures are off? Hmmm...) such as myself, making an already mastered cookie into a special treat is easy, delicious and even your Aunt Betty may give you a dirty look across the table, as your cookies take center stage. (Quickly take the attention off your cookies onto hers and give her your secret and the relationship will be easily mended. Next year when she brings these same cookies over, exclaim as loud as you can, "Aunt Betty, these are the best cookies I've ever had! I need the recipe!" All will be well between the two of you. You can't steal Aunt Bettys' thunder.) These are too good and need to be shared. They are nice because they satisfy everyones' taste buds. You have minty, nutty, tart and a little savory with the salt. Double the recipe as needed. And of course you can use homemade shortbread cookies. ;) Enjoy and happy-happy weekend everyone!

• 8 rectangular shortbread cookies, like Walkers 
• a little less than 1/4 pound white chocolate, roughly chopped, the smaller the better
• crushed butter mints or butter candies
• roughly chopped dried cranberries
• chopped raw pistachios or walnuts
• smoked sea salt flakes

Melt your white chocolate in a double broiler or in a set-up of a small pot with boiling water and a bowl holding the chocolate in it. Stir until the chocolate is nice and smooth and be careful. Once your chocolate is melted dip the tops of the cookies in the chocolate, if you have some left over you can coat an entire cookie if you like. Top with your butter mints, dried cranberries, pistachios and salt flakes. You can do them all with one topping or a mix, like pictured.