Orange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
No New England cookie platter would be complete without something cranberry. Or, I should say, my cookie trays need to have cranberry somewhere. I think, to make a pretty cookie presentation there has to be a mix of colors and textures, and where the sweet has a different twist from one offering to another.
While I am more of a chocolate or salted caramel cookie fan, I do think shortbreads have a place in this world. Especially when they are lightly dusted with sugar, and packed with the sweet tangy punch of cranberries and orange zest.
Cubed Chilled Butter
The tricky part about shortbread cookies is the perfect consistency. Cutting the cold cubed butter into the flour until the dough has a sandy texture, then adding just enough liquid to bring the dough together without being too moist.
Cranberries and Sugar
This recipe has been in my cookie file for a long time, and I do not know where on the internet I found it. I did make some changes, including the amount of orange juice involved. I have in the recipe up to 1/2 Cup of freshly squeezed orange juice (I zested the orange and squeezed it for the juice). I add the juice in tablespoon at a time measurements because it really does depend on the flour and how much liquid the shortbread dough will take to hold together and still be tender. It’s a watch and feel game- you want it to stick together but not be stick-y, ya know?
Shortbread Dough
The cranberries are dried (I used Craisins) and pulsed in a food processor with some sugar and added to the dough. I find the zip of orange and cranberry together add a perky flavor to the otherwise traditionally buttery dough of shortbread.
I’m not going to lie. When it comes to this kind of cookie, I am a believer that more is more. I will always be heavy handed when using zest or something like that. If you find that there is extra zest or an additional 1/4 cup of cranberries, throw them in the dough. The cookies won’t lack for that extra teaspoon of orange zest.
Once the dough comes together, form into logs and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight in parchment or wax paper. The key to this is making sure the wrapper is tightly sealed around the dough. Any open edges, you run the chance of the dough drying out- and this is not the dough to have dry out. (Think play-doh after the lid wasn’t put on correctly).
Once the dough is chilled, slice the logs into 1/4 inch slices (I do not use a ruler for this…no one has time for that). Then coat the disks of dough in sugar, and place on a parchment or silicone mat lined cookie sheet. (Have I mentioned Santa is bringing me new Silpats? Can’t wait!).
These cookies are tender and so when they are baking- you need to be on it. These cookies are essentially butter, flour, and sugar, with your decorative mix ins. While the butter melts into the dough making light little pockets of air-it can also burn or brown quickly, which, is bad. Unless you like browned bottom cookies, in which case we can’t be friends. (Kidding! I’m kidding…sort of).
Once the cookies have cooled, they will freeze nicely for at least a month, or stay fresh in a sealed container for a few days. Shortbreads don’t have that chewy consistency, but these do hold their own, the buttery base kind of melting in your mouth with the chew of the cranberry.
Personally, I love the way these cookies smell and look more than anything. They smell so citrusy, and the sugar glints off the dough in just the right way…they really are pretty little cookies fit for this New England girl’s table.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!
Chrissy,
Click below for a printable recipe!
PrintOrange Cranberry Shortbread Cookies
Delightfully fresh shortbread cookies with the sweet tart of cranberries and orange zest. Dusted with sugar right before baking.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
- 1 ½ Cup Granulated White Sugar
- 5 Cups Flour (spooned and leveled- not scooped)
- 2 Cups Butter, Chilled and Cubed
- 2 Teaspoons Almond Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Orange Extract (I used more in my cookies- I love orange zest)
- 1/4 – 1/2 Cup fresh squeezed orange juice (add by teaspoonful until dough comes together)
- Additional Sugar to coat cookies before baking
Instructions
- Combine cranberries with ½ Cup of sugar in a food processor and pulse just until cranberries are broken down into smaller pieces and combined with the sugar.
- Combine flour and remaining sugar in a different bowl.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut butter into the flour and sugar mixture until resembles fine crumbs.
- Stir in cranberry sugar mixture, extract, and orange juice by teaspoonful and using hands, knead dough into a ball.
- Shape dough into a log, and chill in wax paper or parchment paper (four hours to two days).
- Preheat oven to 325*
- Slice logs of dough into ¼ inch slices. Coat cookie slices with sugar.
- Bake cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set.
- Let cookies cool for several minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack.
- Store in airtight container for three days or freeze for up to three months.