Raspberry Sticks

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
• 1/4 cup dried apricot, minced
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• 1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 2 tablespoons red and green decorator sugar

Recipe

• 1 in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup shortening. add sugar, vanilla, and salt. beat until well combined.
• 2 beat in flour. knead dough together until well blended and shape into a ball. set aside.
• 3 combine preserves, apricots, and orange peel.
• 4 divide dough in half. roll each half between pieces of wax paper to a 6x12 inch rectangle. remove top wax paper.
• 5 spread preserve mixture lengthwise on half of each rectangle of dough, to within 1/2 of edges. fold dough over filling and seal edges. use the wax paper to invert onto a greased cookie sheet and use fork tines to reseal edges.
• 6 bake at 375°f for 20-25 minutes. cool on cookie sheet on a wire rack.
• 7 when cool, cut each square of dough into 3/4 inch wide sticks. put sticks on the cookie sheet and bake at 375°f for 8-10 minutes or until crisp. cool on a wire rack.
• 8 in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons shortening for 2 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. dip cookies in this mixture, then in decorating sugar. cool on waxed paper.