These festive holiday cookies tick all the boxes. They have a Christmas-y cranberry-orange flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture, look festive and are quick and easy to make. Because they are so easy – you can even make the dough ahead and bake the cookies off later – these cookies always find a place on my holiday cookie platter.
These cookies are slice and bake and couldn’t be easier to make. You mix up the dough in your mixer, form cookie dough logs, let them chill in the refrigerator (or freezer!), slice cookies off the logs and bake. Pretty and yummy homemade cookies: check! Now on to the rest of my Christmas list…
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) butter room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (65 g) dried cranberries finely chopped
- ½ cup (60 g) pecans finely chopped
- Zest of 1 organic orange
Instructions
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In a large mixing bowl beat butter with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar and salt. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, beat until combined. Mix in cranberries, pecans and orange zest.
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Divide dough in half. Shape each dough half into a 9 inch (23 cm) long log. Roll dough logs in colored sanding sugar or chopped pecans, if desired. Tightly wrap each dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-24 hours until firm.*
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Preheat oven to 350 °F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice ¼ inch (6 mm) cookies from logs and place on baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are firm and starting to brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
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Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
*Cookie dough logs can also be frozen. Allow frozen dough logs to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cutting into cookie slices.
Recipe adapted from Midwest Living.
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