Welcome back to day three of cookie week! If you missed the soft ginger molasses cookies or the chocolate crinkle cookies, be sure to check them out! Today, we are making this recipe for cranberry orange shortbread. For years I was intimidated by shortbread. I assumed that with such a high butter content my cookies would surely spread too thin and be a total mess. The key with shortbread is the right quantities of flour and butter, and also no leavening ingredients! That is what makes shortbread “short;” the lack of baking powder or baking soda. My favorite way to make shortbread cookies is to roll them into a log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. When it’s time to bake, simply slice them and place on your prepared cookie sheet!
Cranberry and orange are classic Christmas flavors, and for this easy shortbread recipe you’ll be using dried cranberries, orange zest, and orange extract to maximize both flavors. With a shortbread cookie where the crumbly, buttery texture is essential, I much prefer using dried cranberries verses fresh, which would add too much moisture to this type of cookie. And dried cranberries are more readily available year-round, which means you can enjoy these cookies anytime! To get the signature buttery flavor, these cookies use a whole cup of butter creamed with sugar. Add in your vanilla extract, orange extract, and salt before mixing in the flour and dried cranberries. Roll into a log, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, ideally overnight, before slicing and baking.
I hope you make these easy cranberry orange shortbread cookies this holiday season!
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ tsp. orange extract
- 1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup dried cranberries
- Using a stand mixer or a bowl and a hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla extract, orange extract, orange zest, and salt and mix again.
- Add flour to your bowl and mix to combine, then add cranberries and mix to combine.
- Lay out a large sheet of plastic wrap and transfer the dough to it. Form the dough into a log and tightly wrap. I usually use a second sheet of plastic wrap to fully seal.
- Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.
- When ready to bake, line two baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the cookies and place on the prepared baking sheets. They will not spread much but give them a little space in between the cookies to allow them to cook properly.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown and the edges appear to be set. Let cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to the wire rack to cool completely.
- Enjoy!
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[…] just something about shortbread cookies. Buttery and rich, they are perfect paired with a cup of tea. With just half a cup of sugar in […]