Red Hot Cinnamon Imperial Shortbread

Mmmm...Red Hots. Their spicy cinnamon flavor takes me right back to my childhood, sneaking handfuls of the tiny heart-shaped treats at my Grandma's, buying 5-cent Atomic Fireballs from the gas station down the road, or munching on chewy Hot Tamales at the movie theater. These candies always appeared around Valentine's Day, and this year was no exception.

I bought a bag with the idea of doing something interesting with them - and then we promptly moved across the country and I forgot all about them, until now. You see, my Grandma recently had a bad fall and she's now in the hospital with a broken hip. In addition to sending up lots of prayers, I also thought I'd send her some cookies, and an old-fashioned sweet packed with nostalgic cinnamon goodness seemed like just the thing to send.

This cookie is technically a shortbread (lots of butter, no leavening, no eggs) but its texture is almost candy like - probably because of all the little melted cinnamon hearts. The key to the flavor is making your own 'Red Hot Cinnamon Powdered Sugar,' which isn't nearly as complicated or time-consuming as it may sound. For this recipe, just blitz 2/3 cup granulated sugar with a tablespoon or two of Red Hots in a blender until fine and powdery. You can use the leftovers to dust the cookies or save for topping hot chocolate, brownies, ice cream, or oatmeal. Delicious!

Red Hot Cinnamon Imperial Shortbread
(makes one 8x8-inch pan)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1/2 cup Cinnamon Powdered Sugar (see instructions above)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/3 cup Red Hot or Cinnamon Imperial candies
Powdered sugar for dusting (Red Hot cinnamon or regular)

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamed and fluffy. Add vanilla. Gradually incorporate flour and salt until well mixed. Mixture will be crumbly, but if dough looks very dry add water (by half-teaspoonfuls) until dough comes together. Stir in cinnamon candies. Chill dough for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 °F. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with parchment paper. When dough has cooled, press into prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes until top is dry and edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes. Using a sharp knife, score warm shortbread, cutting it into small squares. Set aside to cool completely. When cooled, separate squares and dust with remaining Cinnamon Powdered Sugar, taking care to coat all sides. The squares will be rich and buttery - best served with a glass of milk or mug of tea!

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