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Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

Buttery Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies

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  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 20 cookies
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Bright and buttery cranberry orange shortbread cookies drizzled with white chocolate are a must bake for your holiday cookie platter! Dried cranberries and orange zest add plenty of festive flair to the classic shortbread recipe. Recipe makes 20 cookies.


Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2/3 cup (134 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp (6 g) fresh orange zest
  • 3/4 cup (168 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 tsp (2 g) vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 3/4 cups (245 g) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (90 g) dried cranberries, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp (13 g) granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Topping

  • 4 ounces (113.5 g) white chocolate, chopped
  • gold sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Make citrus sugar: Combine sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute, until zest is finely ground.
  2. Make shortbread dough: Beat butter, orange-sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until soft and creamy. Scrape down bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour just until incorporated and dough begins to come together in large pieces; mix in dried cranberries just until incorporated. Finished dough will be somewhat crumbly but will hold together when pressed. Scrape dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk and wrap tightly.
  3. Chill dough in the refrigerator until firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured board or piece of parchment paper. Use a floured 2 1/2-inch fluted biscuit cutter to cut out cookies. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut until you have a total of 20 cookies. Place cookies on baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
  5. Bake cookies: Sprinkle cookies with sugar and bake for 14 to 15 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until lightly golden and tops and edges are set. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Melt chocolate: Place white chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Slowly melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until glossy and smooth.
  7. Decorate cookies: Transfer melted white chocolate to a small piping bag and drizzle over cookies. Top with sprinkles and let chocolate set before serving.
  8. Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

Storage Tips: Store shortbread cookies in an airtight container to keep them crisp, placing parchment paper between the layers. Cookies stay fresh at room temperature for 7 to 10 days. Shortbread can also be wrapped well and frozen for up to 3 months.

White chocolate: Use high quality white chocolate to decorate the cookies. I use and recommend Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bars.

Make ahead: Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured board or piece of parchment paper and use a floured fluted biscuit cutter to cut out cookies. Place cookies on baking sheets and freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to freezer bags and store for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, bake the cookies directly from the freezer, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time.