Description
These Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies are buttery, tender, and bursting with bright citrus flavor and sweet-tart dried cranberries. Made with fresh orange juice and zest, these beautiful slice-and-bake cookies have delicate, lightly golden edges and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Finished with a sweet orange glaze and optional sparkling sugar, they’re a delicious homemade treat perfect for holiday baking, cookie exchanges, and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Cookie Dough:
- 170 g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 133 g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 265 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp fresh orange zest
- 100 g (3/4 cup) dried cranberries, very finely chopped
- Optional: Coarse sparkling sugar, for rolling log edges
- For the Orange Glaze:
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes until light, pale, and fluffy.
- Beat in Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and pure vanilla extract, beating until completely smooth and cohesive.
- Incorporate Flour, Salt, Citrus, and Cranberries: Gradually add the all-purpose flour and salt, followed by the fresh orange juice, orange zest, and finely chopped dried cranberries. Mix on low speed just until a cohesive shortbread-style dough forms.
- Form and Chill Logs: Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion on parchment paper into an 8-inch log (about 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Wrap each log tightly in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight until thoroughly firm.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Logs: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Optional: Roll the chilled logs in coarse sparkling sugar to coat the outer edges before slicing.
- Slice and Arrange Cookies: Using a sharp chef’s knife, slice each log into twelve 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place the cookie rounds 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake Until Barely Golden: Bake for 13–15 minutes, or until the bottom edges are just barely lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk Glaze and Finish: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and fresh orange juice until smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cookies and let set for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Chop Cranberries Very Fine: Mincing the dried cranberries finely prevents knife blades from snagging during slicing, ensuring smooth, neat round discs.
- Rotate Log While Chilling: To prevent the bottom of the soft dough log from flattening against the refrigerator shelf, rotate the wrapped log a quarter turn every 30 minutes during the first hour of chilling.
- Use a Sharp Chef’s Knife: Slice through the chilled logs with a quick, downward motion using a razor-sharp, thin-bladed knife rather than sawing back and forth.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg