Candy Cane Shortbread Diamonds

What better flavor for Christmas goodies is there than peppermint? These Candy Cane Shortbread Diamonds definitely give you a bold peppermint flavor (in a good way)!

There's a layer of soft shortbread smothered in buttercream frosting, then topped with melted white chocolate and sprinkles of crushed peppermint.

You'll want to cut these bars in small pieces because they're very rich and sweet.

These bars are fairly easy to throw together, but I did find the shortbread crust was a little sticky and not the easiest stuff to layer on the parchment paper. Have patience, though, and take your time pressing it into the bottom of the pan.

You'll also want to spread the melted chocolate on top of the buttercream quickly, as it will harden fairly quickly and make it more difficult to spread evenly.

I put the bars in a little goody box and they looked so pretty on a Christmas dessert table.

If you're looking for a different, delicious, and Christmasy dessert for your holiday table, you'll want to make Candy Cane Shortbread Diamonds!

Looking for more unique holiday desserts?  

• Peppermint Biscotti (great for cookie gifts)
• Italian Sprinkle Cookies (use green and red sprinkles)
• Butterscotch Cashew Bars (amazing)

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Candy Cane Shortbread Diamonds

Yield: 30 pieces

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Great shortbread base with a creamy peppermint topping.

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Ingredients

• 1 C butter, softened
• 1 C brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2-3 drops peppermint extract
• 2 C all-purpose flour
• Buttercream
• 2 ¼ C powdered sugar
• ¼ C butter, melted
• 2 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 tablespoon 2% milk
• 5-6 drops peppermint extract
• Topping
• 9 oz white baking chocolate
• ¾ C crushed candy canes (about 10 regular sized)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a 13x9" baking pan and line with parchment paper, letting the ends extend up for easy lifting after baking.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolk and extract.  Gradually beat in the flour.  Press evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, until browned around the edges.  Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
3. In a bowl, combine buttercream ingredients and beat until smooth.  Spread over the shortbread.  Melt the white baking chocolate and spread gently (and quickly) over the frosting.  Sprinkle evenly with the crushed peppermint and gently press with your fingers so the peppermint will stick into the frosting.
4. Let stand until set before cutting.  Cut into diamonds (about 30° slant).  I recommend cutting the diamonds in half for smaller pieces.  Store in a tightly sealed container between pieces of waxed paper for 2-3 days.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Use good white baking chocolate, not white chocolate chips (Hershey's, Ghirardelli).

You may want to experiment with the peppermint extract amount depending on how strong your extract is.  Take a taste before you add too much.

Mine took the full 20 minutes for the edges to brown.  Check after 18 minutes.

When spreading the melted chocolate on top of the frosting, it will smear together a little since the frosting is soft.  That's OK!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 30 Serving Size: 1 diamond
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 76mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 19gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate