Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Cranberry shortbread cookies are rich, buttery, and delicious. They are made with 10 simple ingredients including a delicious white chocolate topping! They're easy to make and perfect for sharing at the holidays!
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 180kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cranberries finely chopped
- ¼ cup chopped pistachios finely chopped, optional, or another type of nut
White Chocolate Topping
- 6 ounces white chocolate finely chopped, or use white chocolate chips
Instructions
Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
- Sift together the flour and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add the orange zest, and vanilla followed by the egg yolk. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Stir in the cranberries and nuts until just incorporated.
- Divide dough in half. Roll each half out on sheets of parchment paper lightly dusted with flour. Roll out to a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Place each circle on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and chill two hours in the refrigerator.
- Once chilled, take the dough out of the fridge. Lift the parchment paper off the tray and onto the counter. Run a long knife carefully between the parchment paper and the cookie dough. Use cookie cutters to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover the tray with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out extra dough again to cut out more cookies.
- Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes until the edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer them to racks to cool completely.
White Chocolate Topping
- Once the cookies are baked, melt the white chocolate. Set your microwave to 50% power and heat the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Give it a stir between intervals until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Dip or dredge 1/3 or 1/2 of each cookie in the chocolate. Use the side of the bowl or a small spatula to gently wipe away excess chocolate from the bottom or edge of the cookie. Place on a wire rack placed over some parchment paper or a baking sheet (this will catch the chocolate that may drip).
- Allow the cookies to set about 30 minutes.
Notes
Cutting out or slicing the cookies: Instead of rolling out the dough, you can also roll it into 2 logs for slice and bake cookies. To do this, form the dough into a 10 inch log. Roll it in plastic wrap and chill for about 2 hours or until firm. Slice the cookie dough into rounds about 1/4″ in size. Place them on the prepared baking sheets about 1 ” apart. Continue to step 5.
Cranberry wreath shapes: If making cranberry wreaths, gently press dried cranberries in the dough once cookies have been cut out and before chilling them
Optional Cranberry Filling: One recipe cranberry sauce from this Orange Cranberry Pound Cake
Storage: Store these cranberry orange shortbread cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze these orange shortbread cookies in an airtight for up to 2 months. Defrost them in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information: The nutrition information provided is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 180kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
