Idiot Proof Cookie: Shortbread

I discovered my love for shortbread (and making it) over the holidays. Everything to make a batch should be in your pantry, if not, you're living like a caveman. Ryan is working a 16 (!!) hour day today so I thought  I could win the girlfriend of the month/year/lifetime award and have one of his fave cookies waiting for him when he got home. That, and I am feeling slightly under the weather and am experience what is called "cabin fever". I wanted to put a mini twist on the original recipe so I decided to make a shortbread crumble cookie.

Recipe:

For Shortbread:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups UNSALTED butter

For topping:

1 cup apricot preserves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans or nut of choice (that's what she said....sorry mom)

Combine salt, sugar and flour in large bowl. *This recipe calls for using a mixer to blend in the butter cubed and chilled but since I don't have one mybirthdayisin8months I soften the butter first and use my hands*

I don't make a mess or anything when I bake....
Mix in butter until mixture sticks together.

Press all but 1/4 cup shortbread dough into a 9x9" GREASED baking pan.
Spread 1 cup apricot preserves over dough in pan.

Chop up pecans or whatever into smaller pieces and combine with leftover dough and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.

Sprinkle combination over dough in pan evenly, or not evenly, whatever.

Stick it in the oven (preheated to 325 degrees) and bake for 50 minutes. I realize that 50 minutes is a seriously LONG time to bake cookies but they're worth the wait and super delicious.

These puppies will be gone by morning.