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
- Make citrus sugar: Combine sugar and orange zest in a food processor and pulse for 1 minute, until zest is finely ground.
- Make shortbread dough: Beat butter, orange-sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until soft and creamy, about 2 minutes. 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.
- Chill dough in the refrigerator until firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Decorate cookies: Transfer melted white chocolate to a small piping bag and drizzle over cookies. Top with sprinkles and let chocolate set before serving.
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.
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.