cranberry orange shortbread

No-spread cranberry orange cookies that can be used for cut-out decorated cookies, or slice-and-bake cookies.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread Sugar Cookies

unsalted butter (room temperature)

sugar

egg (room temperature)

orange emulsion or extract

vanilla extract

orange (zested)

cranberries

all-purpose flour

cornstarch

Place ½ cup of dried cranberries in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Cranberries will start to form a ball. You can also finely chop them by hand. Zest one orange. Set aside.

Whisk dry ingredients (flour & cornstarch) together and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars with paddle attachment, on medium-low speed, until fluffy and pale in color (about 5 minutes).

Add egg, extracts/emulsions, zest and cranberries, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the paddle with a spatula, and then continue to mix on low speed for another 30 seconds to ensure everything is fully incorporated.

Add dry ingredients, all at once, and mix on low speed just until dough starts to come together and no dry bits remain. Do not overmix.

Turn dough out onto cling wrap, tightly wrap, and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 4 hours).

Knead, roll, cut out cookies, and return to fridge or freezer until firm. Leave a couple inches between cookies.

Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, rotate pan, and bake for another 1-5 minutes until edges are starting to turn golden brown.

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet before handling.

Made with dried cranberries and orange zest, these Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are lightly tart and sweet with a bright citrus flavor. Drizzle or dip in melted white chocolate for a beautiful and festive holiday cookie.

Cranberry Orange Shortbread

(140 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

(58 grams) powdered sugar

orange zest

(195 grams) all-purpose flour

salt

(80 grams) dried cranberries, finely chopped

turbinado sugar, for decorating, optional

white chocolate,

Beat the butter and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is well combined and smooth.

Add the vanilla extract and orange zest and mix until well combined.

Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough is just well combined. Don’t over mix.

Gently stir the dried cranberries into the cookie dough.

Turn the cookie dough out onto the counter or a piece of parchment paper. Shape the dough into a log and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, until firm, or until you’re ready to bake. The cookie dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days prior to baking.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Cut each log into about ¼ to ½ inch thick slices, depending on how thick you want them to be. Keep in mind that the thicker you make them, the less cookies you’ll get. If there’s a certain number of cookies you want, use a ruler to measure them out and mark the side of the log with the correct number before you slice them. You should be able to get roughly 18-20 cookies.

If you’d like to add the sugar, place it on a rimmed plate and roll the edges of the individual slices in the sprinkles.

Place the cookies onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for 8-11 minutes. The time will vary based on how thick you cut the cookies and your oven. Thinner cookies won’t need to bake as long. You want to bake them until they are no longer glossy on top and before they start to brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for about 3-5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

If you are using the white chocolate, melt the chocolate in the microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time, mixing after each interval, until melted and smooth. Melt the smaller amount of chocolate if just drizzling it, melt the larger amount if you want to dip them half way into the chocolate instead of drizzling.

You can add the white chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (like Wilton 3 or 4) and drizzle it onto the cookies like I did, or you can dip each cookie halfway into the melted chocolate. After drizzling or dipping, sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Place the cookies onto a sheet of parchment and allow the chocolate to set.

Store cookies in an air-tight container. Cookies are best if eaten with 4-5 days.

These cranberry orange pinwheel cookies are the perfect sweet &amp; slightly tart cookie for any occasion!

Vegan Cranberry Orange Pinwheel Cookies

vegan butter

Tablespoon orange zest

Tablespoon ground flaxseed (must be ground not whole)

orange juice

First, make the orange cookie dough. Add the vegan butter, sugar, and orange zest to a large bowl and cream together until light &amp; fluffy (about 1 minute). Then, add in the orange juice and ground flax seed and cream together for another 30 seconds.

Add in the flour and mix until a thick cookie dough forms. The cookie dough will be relatively thick, but it should not be crumbly so keep mixing until it holds together.

Add the cookie dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Then, layer another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the cookie dough between the two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle about ½ inch thick in height.

Once the dough is rolled out, make the cranberry filling by adding the frozen cranberries, sugar, and orange zest to a blender or food processor. Blend until the cranberries have been finely chopped and are evenly mixed with the sugar. 

Remove the top layer of parchment paper from the cookie dough and add the cranberry filling on top. It is very important to add the filling while it is still cold for the best results.

Then, carefully roll the dough into a log. Press the dough edges together to seal. If the dough cracks at all while you roll it up, lightly press it back together and continue rolling. Also, make sure not to let the filling ooze out of the sides of the dough as you roll it up.

Next, lay a new sheet of parchment paper on top of a baking tray and place the cookie dough  log on top. Place the tray with the log in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to solidify before cutting. 

While the dough is in the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Then, remove the dough from the fridge, place it on a cutting board, and slice it into 16 cookie slices that are about 1/2 inches thick.

Lay the cookie slices onto the parchment-lined baking tray, making sure to leave space between each cookie. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until firm and very lightly browned (too browned will mean you overcooked them and cooking time will vary on how thick you cut the cookie slices).

Remove the baked cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. Then, remove and place onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the cookies have cooled make the (optional) glaze. Add the orange juice and sifted powdered sugar to a small bowl and whisk together until a thick glaze forms.

Then, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Let the glaze harden for 1-2 minutes, then serve!

Made a bunch of different cookies for xmas to share with family and these were the favorite, hands down.  I'm sure they'll be coming with me to lots of other events in the future!

Hi, this recipe is amazing. I make them and also do a lemon and dried strawberries one, and am doing a pineapple and coconut one. All my friends love them!!

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