Cranberries just scream the holidays to me and this cranberry and orange shortbread is amazing on any holiday cookie platter! I often tend to reach for dried cranberries when making things like cookies but fresh cranberries are so good, adding that bright red colour! This is a pretty basic shortbread recipe with flour, cornstarch, butter, and sugar in addition to chopped fresh cranberries and freshly grated orange zest. All of the ingredients are mixed together, formed into a log and chilled in the fridge before slicing and baking! One of the great things about making chill and slice shortbread is that you can make a few logs ahead of time, store them in fridge until the day that you are ready, and make them fresh then! The festive red and orange colours in this shortbread look almost as stunning as they taste!
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Light, melt in your mouth, shortbread cookies with orange zest and fresh cranberries!
ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered/icing/confectioners sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch (or more flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 heaping cup fresh cranberries, chopped
directions
- Beat the butter and sugar for 5-6 minutes before mixing in the vanilla.
- Mix in the mixture of the flour, cornstarch, and salt before mixing in the orange zest and chopped cranberries.
- Form the dough into a log, wrap and chill in the fridge for 2+ hours, before slicing into 1/4 inch slices and placing on a parchment paper (or silicon mat) lined baking sheet!
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the bottom just starts to brown, about 12 minutes, before removing from the oven and letting cool completely on the baking sheet.
Option: Replace some or all of the cornstarch with flour.
Tip: Use a food processor to pulse the cranberries to chop them!
Tip: Use a food processor to do all of the dough mixing (step 1 & 2) before working with hands for a minute to form into a nice dough.
Tip: Use a sharp knife, use force, and cut quickly to reduce crumbling when you slice the shortbread dough.
Tip: Use a food processor to make the dough: 1. Pulse the flour, cornstarch, salt, and powder sugar, before adding the butter and vanilla and pulsing until it starts to form sand sized pebbles. 2. Add the cranberries and orange zest and pulse until just mixed. 3. Dump the dough onto a clean surface and work with your hands a bit until the dough forms up.
Espresso and Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
Whipped Shortbread
Shortbread
Almond Crescent Cookies
Maple Pecan Shortbread
Orange Shortbread Dipped in Chocolate
Lime Meltaways
Stilton and Rosemary Shortbread
Gorgonzola and Pistachio Shortbread
Bacon Maple Shortbread
Chocolate Cherry Balsamic Goat Cheese Shortbread
Chocolate Orange Rosemary Shortbread
Cranberry Relish
Cranberry Sauce
Has anyone tried using an imprint rolling pin with these? They look festive and delicious!!
Yes you can! Roll the dough out with the pin before chilling in the fridge and then bake. Enjoy!
Is this all purpose or self rising flour? I love your recipes. TY
Regular 🙂
hi! Is this AP Flour?
And is it unsalted butter? thank you
It is all-purpose flour and unsalted butter. Enjoy!
Kevin, could you give step by step using the food processor for everything?
Thanks!
Ally in New Jersey
I have added the food processor instructions in the tips. Enjoy!
Mine turned out very wet due to the fresh cranberries so not very shortbread-like. I thought about using a paper towel to pat the cranberries dry after pulsing in a food processor so will do that next time. Lovely taste though.