Description
This Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies recipe combines buttery shortbread with zesty orange flavor and tart dried cranberries. Finished with a sweet orange glaze, these cookies are perfect for festive occasions or a delightful treat. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, these cookies offer a crisp texture and vibrant taste that will impress any cookie lover.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 orange, zest
- 125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 75 g dried cranberries, finely chopped
Orange Glaze
- 120 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 30 ml orange juice
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Rub sugar and orange zest together. Using your fingertips, massage the orange zest into the caster sugar until the sugar is orange-stained and slightly wet, releasing the orange oils and intensifying the flavor.
- Cream butter, orange sugar, and vanilla extract. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter and orange sugar on medium speed until pale and lightened. Scrape the sides and bottom, then add vanilla extract and mix again.
- Add flour and cranberries. At low speed, mix in the plain flour and finely chopped dried cranberries until combined. The dough will look rough and raggedy.
- Form dough and roll out. Shape the dough into a ball and press it into a rough disc. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of ½ cm. If too soft, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes to firm up before rolling.
- Cut out cookie shapes and chill. Use a cookie cutter to stamp out cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Re-roll scraps as needed, adding a few drops of water if dough dries out. Refrigerate the cutouts for at least 30 minutes to harden.
- Bake the cookies. Preheat the oven to 170°C (335°F). Bake the chilled cookies for 15 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare orange glaze. Whisk powdered icing sugar, orange juice, and melted butter together in a bowl until smooth. Adjust thickness by adding more icing sugar or orange juice as needed.
- Dip cookies into glaze. Dip the face of each cookie into the glaze, lift gently allowing excess to drip off, then place on a wire rack to set.
- Serve and enjoy. Once the glaze has set, serve the cookies and enjoy the delightful combination of cranberry and orange flavors.
Notes
- Step-by-step photos are available on the original blog post to guide through the recipe.
- Yield depends on cookie cutter size; this recipe makes about 20 cookies using a 5cm (2-inch) star cutter.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Undecorated shortbread cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight at room temperature before glazing.
- Re-roll dough scraps to maximize the number of cookies.
- Flour cookie cutters to prevent dough from sticking and preserve cookie shape.
- Chill cookie dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain shape during baking.
- Watch bake time closely as ovens vary; 15 minutes or until edges are golden is ideal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
