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Cozy Cranberry Orange Shortbread

Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread sticks studded with tart cranberries and finished with a zesty fresh orange glaze.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 18 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, British
Calories: 160
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 0.75 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2.25 cups all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp orange zest
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries finely chopped
Orange Glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh orange juice adjust for consistency
  • 1 tsp orange zest for garnish

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer
  • Baking sheet
  • Wire rack
  • Microplane Zester

Method
 

  1. Cream softened butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy.
  2. Mix in vanilla extract, salt, and orange zest.
  3. Gradually add flour, mixing on low until dough just starts to clump.
  4. Fold in chopped cranberries by hand or on low speed.
  5. Shape dough into a rectangular block about 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface.
  6. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Slice block into sticks/fingers.
  8. Bake on parchment-lined sheet for 12-15 minutes until set but pale.
  9. Cool completely. Whisk glaze ingredients and drizzle over cookies.

Notes

Chop the cranberries finely so the cookies don't crumble when you slice them.